Shadow Play
by Ace's Shadow Girl
Summary: What happens if the big "Fire Fist" Portgas D. Ace re-meets the girl that took his virginity years ago? And why does the mysterious girl insist on following him even if she annoys him to no end? Does he really find her as annoying as he says? Ace x OC
1. Love Lessons

**Guess what. This story is my tribute to Ace. Boy, you're the best. **

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece, not even one piece (mwahaha.)**  
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******Chapter 1: Love Lessons**

The girl watched with a bored expression on her cute face as the party was in full swing. She could have gotten there herself, stolen a few bottles of sake and just have a good time. Some of the men there were quite handsome, too. There was nothing against a little bit of fun, but today she just didn't feel like it, even if it would be no problem picking up one of those, pirate or not. They were all very drunk by now and the fact that she was good-looking would only help her even more to getting laid or whatever she wanted.

She stood up and strode over to the whole excitement. The hope to get a nice conversational partner could be abandoned by now, and she just helped some of them to lighten their purses – by taking all the money from the drunken somethings in front of her. And now she was bored to no end.

Sighing, she sauntered over to where she had spotted a bar sign – not that she needed a bar though, she could have easily stolen some bottles from passengers or some of the booths all around on the street, for it was a street party. Perhaps she could sit in some corner over there and watch the people laughing, fighting or flirting around. If she was bored nonetheless, she could still go to bed.

Yawning, she entered the bar, waved at a crewmate engaged in a seemingly hot discussion and found herself the remote corner she had been looking for. The couple in front of her seemed as if they would come at each other right now, and with a tired smile she wished they would leave before it got embarrassing. But apparently that was not what they thought about it. She watched in utter fascination when it seemed as if they would eat each other alive.

_Go learn kissing_, she thought disgusted and shook her head. Then she looked at a slumped figure to her left with a horrifying orange cowboy hat. _Just some drunken body without any sense of fashion_, she sighed, and just when she decided to return to the ship to go to bed, the drunken body slowly lifted his head and yawned with his mouth wide open. She stared in surprise at the young man who turned his head and noticed her glance.

"Whassup?" he asked dozily as pitch-black eyes looked at her with such an intense gaze that it sent shivers down her spine.

_Interesting_, she thought, now not wasting one more thought to her bed.

"Oh, nothing", she said calmly and mustered him. He wore black shorts and heavy boots, but no shirt, and the soft bar lights illuminated his bare chest in a flattering way. He looked really good with his deep brown spiky hair coming out of the ridiculously orange hat and framing his freckled face. Really, _really_ good.

"I'm just bored." This was only half the truth, now that she had found him it was getting interesting.

"Bored?" He yawned again. "Me too. This wasn't even caused by my narcolepsy …"

"Narcolepsy?" she asked curiously and laughed. "Like … sleeping from one second to the other?"

"Yeah, exactly," he said and now it was his turn to muster her. She let him, though, this was nothing new and she had done the same with him, so why not.

He saw a girl of about sixteen, with long dark red hair dangling loosely around her arms and equally dark red lips. Her eyes were of a bright azure colour, and she wore a tight black top emphasising her slender figure, combined to long red and green chequered pants. Her slender ankles were accentuated by dark brown and medium-heeled sandals. As far as he could see, she had no weapons with her.

"Interested?" she asked with a malicious smirk.

The boy blushed visibly and immediately took his hands up in a gesture of rejection. "N-no, I was just …"

She laughed, then shook her head. "Really, it's okay. Just say it and we can go somewhere else …"

He blushed even deeper, causing her to giggle at the sight. "I don't understand …" he mumbled.

"Yes you do. Come on." She stood up and reached her hand out for him. He looked at her, as confused as one could be, but finally he took her hand and let himself be dragged out of the crowded place. She smiled as she led him out of the bar and along the street filled with people dancing, laughing and drinking.

"Where do you take me?" his quiet voice asked her from behind, and she turned her head to him, smiling.

"Somewhere a bit less crowded," she answered and saw him blushing again. She chuckled. He didn't seem that shy only minutes ago. _Let's see if I can get that out of him._

She took him to a street near the harbour, surrounded by a nice little park to both sides. She knew that park because she had already been here for one week, much time to inspect the place.

"See? Not many people in here," she told him and smiled. He smiled back, but she saw he was more than unsure about what to do next. Chuckling, she took him further on into the park. And then, when she reached the place she had been looking for, she pulled on his hand and managed to press him against a tree while leaning in to him.

Taken by surprise by the sudden closeness, the boy blushed heavily. She smirked as she leaned against his muscular chest, running her hands up and down his arms. She could feel the shiver she caused him. "You've never done this before, right?"

"Done what before?" he asked, obviously very embarrassed.

"Aww, come on. Don't make such a cute face at me," she giggled. And without any warning, she reached up, pulled the annoyingly orange hat back and entangled her fingers in his dark hair while pulling his face close to her. She kissed him and was surprised at how soft his lips were.

He went stiff as he felt the touch of her lips against his. Surely she didn't mean … it?

"I love your hair," she said with a soft chuckle and looked him deep in the eyes. He looked a bit frightened. "Relax, honey. Just enjoy this."

She kissed him again, and more and more, she felt his resistance – or hesitance – vanish. Slowly, he started to react, to kiss her back, and she smiled against his lips as he did so. And when she wanted to pull back, he didn't even let her. He took his hands up to hold her head in place as he let his tongue slide into her mouth, and she had to suppress an amused chuckle. _This guy might be inexperienced, but he definitely has talent. _

"Did you learn that somewhere?" she asked when they parted for air, smirking up at him.

He frowned and shrugged, "Uhh … to be honest, I didn't."

_So that's his first kiss?_ she thought and didn't know whether to feel proud because she had been the first to kiss those lips and to experience quite a bit pleasure from them, or to be ashamed … because she had stolen his first kiss.

_Aww, come on. It's not like you've stolen anything today. At least not this kiss. _

She seized him by the collar (well, his non-existing collar, namely his neck) and pulled him closer, reducing that awful eight-inch-distance between them. "I want more of that," she informed him and saw him swallow hard. Somehow his shyness actually turned her on, she didn't know why. Normally she only went for the more experienced guys, but something told her to stay and just try it.

And in the case of his kissing abilities … well, it proved her right, and when she pressed her lips on his the second time, she thought that it could actually become better. And if he was able to learn that fast, it would. Definitely.

She started to enjoy it, to really enjoy it. The feeling of his hands in her hair, twisting single strands and pulling her head even closer to not miss one single contact, to not let even half an inch get between them. He roamed her mouth with such skill she almost didn't believe that he had said the truth about not having been kissed yet. And the least she could do was to answer him in an equal manner – which she did quite willingly and extensively.

As a little moan escaped his throat, she felt she could go further without scaring him off. The fact that he didn't wear a shirt helped her immensely as she could let her hands graze his exposed upper body. She could feel him hesitate a bit when her fingers fiddled around with his belt and finally opened it, but she pulled back and smiled at him, cupping his cheek with her left hand. "Relax. You'll like it," she assured him before she continued, pulling his pants down and pressing him down the tree until he sat on the ground and looked up at her with an unreadable expression, and she felt desire flooding through her as she looked him in these deep black eyes. She straddled him, now undressed herself, and then she taught him one of the most important lessons in life: pleasure.

* * *

_10 minutes later (hey, he's inexperienced after all)_

"Wow. That was … wow."

She chuckled. "I know. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have done this."

He sat up so that he could look at her. She was even more beautiful now, the most beautiful being he had ever seen, now that her face was so sweetly reddened. He could even see that in the cold light of the moon. "How come you know so much about this? You can't even be seventeen!"

She chuckled again. "I'm sixteen."

"So … how come? Are you a …" He didn't dare vocalising the word ghosting around in his mind, but it didn't matter as he immediately saw her former satisfied expression darken and change into something like disapproval.

"No I'm not, and don't you dare calling me a whore!" she hissed. "I just want my pleasure, what's wrong with you guys? Screwing around in the whole world, and just when a girl wants a bit of _fun_ herself she has to be a _whore_? Really, what's wrong with you?"

He hastened to take his hands up in defence. "No, no, really, I didn't mean to … I mean, I'm sorry."

She sighed, obviously annoyed, and sat up herself, looking for her top.

"Really, I'm sorry. I didn't want to call you that." His calm tone caused her to look into his eyes, and all she could find was real regret and sincerity. He didn't just say that for her to stay or to charm her.

She nodded. "It's okay. Just keep an eye on who you're about to offend. Others wouldn't be so kind." She saw him nodding seriously and couldn't help smiling. He looked really cute now … if you disregarded his _very_ muscular chest and nakedness. That was just hot.

"What's your name?" she asked and wondered in the very second about why she had asked this. She never asked one of her … acquaintances about their names, if they didn't tell her. Why did it matter now?

"It's Ace," he said and smiled.

"Ace," she repeated thoughtfully. Then she cupped his cheek with her hand and pecked him on his lips one last time. She didn't know why she did that, she just had that feeling.

"I'm sure we'll meet again," she said, and it was not just glib. She actually believed it without knowing why.

_This is so weird. I think I'd better leave_, she thought and shook her head fiercely to get the strange thoughts off her mind. Just as she was about to stand up, he held her back with his voice.

"I dunno. Perhaps. I wanna sail further on, become a pirate and stuff. The Grand Line's just too big for two people to meet again."

She smiled. "You think so?"

"Yup." He grabbed for his pants.

"We'll see, little cowboy." He frowned at the mocking title, but she just laughed.

"What's your name?" he asked, feeling he had the right to know it since she knew his.

She smiled into the shadows while collecting her clothes as he started to put on his pants. Her name … she never gave away her real name.

"Yami." It slipped out of her mouth before she could hold it back, and she felt the urge of biting her tongue off here and now. _Just how can one be so damn stupid?_

"Yami," he repeated, and the way he spoke it made her shiver slightly. Irritated now, she cast one last glance at the boy – man – standing next to the tree. Then she disappeared into the shadows.

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**Author's note: **"yami" means "darkness" in Japanese.


	2. Smoke and Fire

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

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**Chapter 2: Smoke and Fire (Smokin' Aces)**

_Nanohana, Alabasta. Three years later._

_What's going on?_ Ace thought as he opened his eyes. He blinked a few times until he noticed that it was definitely potato mash in his face.

"Damn, did I fall asleep again?" he yawned and began wiping the food off his face. Then he saw the staring crowd in the bar. "What?" he asked, confused.

"You fell asleep?" one of them asked him incredulously, and he just shrugged.

"Yeah, I believe so." As the people around him gasped in relief, he scratched his head.

"Don't do this again! You really had us scared, we thought you'd died just now …" he heard somebody mutter, and then … darkness.

* * *

_5 minutes later …_

"What?" he awoke with a start.

"WE SAID DON'T DO THIS AGAIN!" he heard some people yell and blinked in confusion. Then, he heard the real cause of his awaking, and several shivers started to run down his spine as it brought back certain memories he had failed to suppress the whole time.

"Fire Fist Ace," he heard a female voice say, a voice he would never forget, no matter how hard he tried. And he tried very hard. A featherweight hand settled on his lower arm.

_My God._ _Yami._

"I see, you learned a few nice tricks, didn't ya? But your narcolepsy seems to be pretty unharmed …"

Slowly, he turned his head to the source of the voice. Bright azure eyes glanced at him in utter amusement. He swallowed hard. His throat suddenly seemed way too tight.

"What, lost your voice?" she snickered. "Oh _please_ don't tell me you just forgot that wonderful night three years ago?" A feigned pout followed her mocking words.

_How could I forget?_ it came to his mind, but he forced himself to a half-hearted smile. She was just kidding, it had been almost ordinary to her, if not bad. He had been so damn inexperienced and all ...

"No, unfortunately not," he said in a successful attempt to sound sincere. She laughed, and he went rigid at the sound.

"Edgy, are we?" she chuckled and climbed a barstool next to him.

He still couldn't believe it. Was this really the girl he had tried to forget for whole three years? And now she just came walking in here and acted as if nothing had happened? _WHAT THE HELL?_

"Hey, Mister Barman. Your best sake please," she yelled at the man who nodded at her. "So …" she began and turned to Ace again. "Same old hat? Embarrassing, if you ask my opinion."

"Nobody asks your opinion," he muttered and stared his potato mash into pieces. "And I have a black one too, by the way."

She laughed again, it sounded like small and clear ringing bells. He liked it immediately. But he would never, never show her that, and so he tried hard to fight down a huge blush – and succeeded.

"… them when you joined Whitebeard's crew?" he heard her ask and shook his head fiercely to get it clear again.

"Sorry, what did you say?" he asked, annoyed at himself for having been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't even heard her speak.

She smirked in amusement. "I said, nice tattoos. Did you get them when you joined Whitebeard's crew?"

"This one, yeah." He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "The other one was made by some stupid idiot tattooist who didn't even know how to spell my name."

She laughed. "Stupid, really. Three letters and one wrong, not such a good rate."

The barkeeper gave her the requested glass of sake. "Cheers!" she said to Ace who just nodded and gulped down its content at one swallow. Then she wiped her mouth clean with the back of her hand and indicated to the man to bring her a new one.

"You don't look very surprised to meet me again," Ace said, watching her. And really, as it seemed like a wonder to him seeing her a second time, she looked as if she had expected it.

She shrugged. "I told you we'd meet again, didn't I?" And with that she gulped down her second glass of sake.

"Yeah you did, but did you actually believe it?" he asked curiously.

She cocked one eyebrow. "Of course I did."

"But … why?"

She shrugged again. "Just because."

"Ah. That's the best reason I've ever heard," he sighed, now a bit unnerved.

"What do you wanna hear, cowboy? That I loved you so much I just _knew_ I would see you again?" She snickered. "That's not my style, you know."

He let out an annoyed sigh. Five minutes, and she just jarred on his nerves. The fact that she had been the one taking his virginity didn't make anything easier for him. Now that she ordered her third drink and something to eat, he used the moment to examine her secretly.

Had she been beautiful then – and she definitely had been –, she was simply mind-blowing now. She wore her hair shorter, barely reaching over her shoulders, and her figure was more than amazing. He had seen her naked, even if it had been in the moonlight, and from what he saw now he could tell that she had … grown, in some way. Definitely.

"Like what you see?" she took him out of his very … stimulating way of thoughts.

This time he was not so successful in fighting down the blush, and so he hid it by turning his face away from her but rolling his eyes for her to see. "What do you think?" he answered with a counterquestion.

"I think you like it," she giggled, and he silently wondered if this girl had any sense of inhibition or embarrassment at all. "By the way, do you own at least one shirt?"

"No," he answered and this time he was the one catching her staring. But it was difficult not to catch that, she was obviously pleased by the sight of him being shirtless, and he could not help being proud. He surely had cultivated his pectoral muscles over time, so this felt like being rewarded.

"Nice," she said appreciatively before turning back to her meal.

He had to clench his teeth so as not to ask "Really?" like a complete dumbass. And he wondered how she managed to be so not-embarrassed in any way. But he assumed that if she was allowed to stare at him, she could have nothing against him doing the same. And how could one not stare at her? She really was an appearance, especially since she knew how to dress. Her short shirt matched the colour of her eyes, and the khaki shorts accentuated her slender legs. Even the heavy boots she wore now just fit in the image. But the most obvious change was that she had weapons now, two little daggers dangling at both sides of her hips from a heavy belt. And he noticed that she still used that dark red lipstick, matching the colour of her hair.

She turned away from her plate, looking thoughtfully at all the women around them. They wore dancer's outfits with _very_ short tops that looked more like bras than anything else and long skirts with many decorations all around. "Hm, I think I'm gonna get some of these too, they look quite hot." Then she turned to Ace. "You think they'd suit me?"

He just shrugged while struggling to swallow hard. Of course they would suit her, and he would love to see her in one of –

"Now that you finished staring," she interrupted his thoughts with a strangely calm voice, "would you mind turning around and beating the crap out of that shitty Marine?"

"I'm not … what?" he stammered, completely taken by surprise. And really, just as he turned his head to the entrance, a huge figure stepped in the doorway of the bar, blocking the sun out. He had short white-greyish hair, wore a white marine jacket that was undone so his bare muscular chest could be seen underneath, and he had two cigars stuck between his teeth. His eyes seemed to pierce through everything he looked at.

"Well, look who's here," he heard the man say hoarsely as he spotted him sitting at the counter. "Portgas D. Ace. And who's your little red-haired companion?"

"Smoker," Ace said calmly and smirked at him.

Yami cocked her eyebrows at that. "You know him too?"

"Yup," he said to her but kept his eyes glued to the Marine. "Yo, what's up?"

The Marine didn't seem to be so pleased at that disrespectful salutation. He narrowed his eyes at the pirate. "You're Whitebeard's Second Division Commander," he stated.

Ace just shrugged, the smirk never leaving his freckled face, while the people around him froze slash started to scream. "Yeah, I already knew that. If you're only here to tell me this, I'm sorry I have to disappoint you. I knew it before you did. So what can I do for you now?"

"Sit still and let me arrest you," Smoker growled.

"Sorry, but …" Ace began, but in the second he noticed his red-haired interlocutress being gone, he spotted her right behind the Marine. He gazed at her with wide eyes, his mouth gaping apparently. _I didn't even see her leave …_ he thought alarmed. _Is she crazy?_

"Sorry but what?" Smoker requested. Then he noticed the sharp blade at his throat. "WHAT THE HELL?"

"I wouldn't move now if I were you, Smoky," a calm voice stated flatly.

Smoker had overcome his surprise quickly. "What should that be, a bread knife? But because I'm generous today and because I don't know you, which means that you're on no wanted poster, I'll give you one last chance. Leave, now, or I'll have you arrested," he grumbled, obviously annoyed.

As Ace saw her smirking in the most evil way he had ever seen someone smirk, he felt sweat trickling down his neck.

"I'm sorry, but I think I'll kill you now, Marine," she said, clear enough for everyone to hear.

_What the hell …? She really is crazy! _

This was the moment when everything burst in complete panic. People ran around, screaming and desperately going for the entrance, and then …

* * *

Yami heard the whirring sound seconds before the actual projectile smashed into the bar. With an inward curse, she jumped to the side, right at the moment the flying black-haired boy struck directly into the Marine's back, taking him with him on his way – straight into Ace, who, in turn, was carried away by the two bodies. Right through the counter and into the wall. And the next. And the next. And the next …

She stared wide-eyed at the unbelievable show, her jaw almost hitting the floor. She hadn't seen this coming, of course not … And at that moment she was glad she had been out of the way.

"I'M STARVING! MEEEEAAAT! GIMME MEEEAAAT!" she heard a voice cry out as the black-haired guy appeared in the opening he had created only seconds ago. He came into the bar, completely unaware of all the chaos, and sat down at the not destructed part of the counter. "MEEEAAAT!" he yelled again and hit the countertop with his fists as the barman didn't seem to move ever again, staring at him with a completely dumbstruck expression on his face.

Yami cleared her throat. "Boy, do you realise you just managed to hit two logias through a CONCRETE WALL?" she asked, not yet decided on whether to laugh or be scared.

"Huh?" the boy asked, adjusted the straw hat on his head and looked at her as if he started to take in his environment just now. "Are you the bargirl? Can you give me meat?" he questioned, looking completely innocent. She stared at him for some more moments, and then broke out into laughter.

"That … hahaha … is really … hahaha … the funniest thing … hahahaha … I've ever seen! Hahahahaha!"

"Huh?" the boy asked again, scratching his head in confusion. "So you're not the bargirl?"

"Hahahaha – oh, no, sorry, I'm not, hahaha …" She watched the boy ordering meat at several persons, until the barkeeper seemed to regain his composure and hurried to fulfil the boy's wishes. Then, an orange hat appeared in the 'doorway', and she decided to leave – for now.

"Luffy!" she heard the young man yell as she went away from the bar to get some new outfits.

"Huh? Oh, hey Ace!"

Several rumours inside. She chuckled as she imagined what could be happening. Perhaps the cowboy had him punched now. Or perhaps not. They seemed to know each other, as it seemed. And then, even if she was already around some street corners, she heard a third voice shout: "Monkey D. Luffy! Portgas D. Ace! I'll have you arrested!"

She rolled her eyes at that. Stupid Marines, they really were a pain in the ass. They always thought they were oh so superior, with all their _morals_ held high and stuff, but really, they were no more than ordinary thugs and raiders. Murderers stuck in uniforms. She wouldn't forget what she had been about to do when the straw hat-wearing boy – Luffy, apparently – had burst into the bar. She had had him, that stupid Smoker, and most likely he would have taken his last breath if Mister Straw Hat hadn't saved him. Of course he all but knew that, he still felt superior with his freakin' logia powers.

_Damned Marines_, she thought as she kicked a small stone a few meters away. Then she looked around for a clothes shop and found herself some very nice dancer's outfits, but she knew she didn't have the time to try them out. She also bought a large black cloak, of course the cowboy was on his way through the desert, and she would accompany him, even if he didn't know that yet.

_Oh, I'm late!_ she cursed inwardly as she heard the screams from outside. She quickly paid for her clothes and stuffed them in her bag, hurrying to get outside and come at that Marine guy. Or just watch him fight, she hadn't yet decided about that. She had to ask him something. Perhaps she wasn't supposed to kill him? She would see.

With a few well-placed steps, she climbed the next house roof and could now enjoy the scene playing right in front of her. There he stood, Smoker, literally fuming with anger, and opposing him was Ace. He had just pushed Straw Hat out of the way (_Just how did they all get up here so fast?_), and she saw the boy running away while stuffing his mouth with the food he carried away with him. It was crazy, and she almost laughed at it – hadn't she been so busy with figuring out why the cowboy saved the other boy's life. _They must have a very special relationship_, she mused and watched as fire began to erupt all over the young man's body.

_Yup, he's definitely burning hot_, she giggled inwardly as he dodged one of Smoker's attacks which was meant for the escaping straw hat boy.

"Give it up, Smoker. Even if you're smoke, you don't have any chance against fire," she heard him say smugly, and the devilish smirk on his face really fascinated her.

Smoker growled in response and threw another attack at the fire user, a thick fog-like cloud which blinded him for a few moments. "Crap!" she heard him curse, and this was the moment she decided to interfere.

In less than one second she was beside the huge figure of the Marine ready to cast another smoke attack, and pulled on his white sleeve. "Hey, Mister Smoky. Mind if I join your little game?"

His face was more than incredulous when he turned his head and spotted her standing next to him casually, with a sweet smile on her face. His cigars almost fell out of his mouth in surprise. "_You!_"

"Yah, _me_. But that's not my name, you should know," she said, the smile never leaving her face. "What do you want with my little cowboy?"

Smoker needed a moment to understand that she meant Ace with that. "I'll arrest him, for the world's sake!" he growled past his cigars. "And as you threatened me, you'll share his fate – now!" With that he launched a smoke cloud at her which she easily evaded.

"Sorry, Smoky, but you'll have to try harder if you wanna catch me," she giggled. He had given her the first right answer, he didn't have any personal purposes apparently, but would he also convince her with the second part? She knew him already, he was so damn convinced with his stupid sense of justice. Perhaps it was right she hadn't killed him? But he was a Marine after all … and all Marines were scum.

"Step aside!" Ace's voice came out of the smoke as he blasted it away with his favourite attack before she could continue her inquiry. "_Fire Fist!_"

Yami sighed. She had just given him the chance to escape, and what did he do? But she did as he wanted and jumped a few metres away. Unfortunately, Smoker also saw it coming and could evade Ace's attack.

The burning young man's eyes narrowed at her. "Go! Run, _now!_" And that was when she stared at him in awe. He really wanted to _save_ her? Nobody ever saved her, not in all her life … nobody even tried … nobody except _them_, but that was past now anyway …

Her thoughts were interrupted by a certain fuming Marine twirling around in a whirlwind of smoke, trying to hit them both. She jumped aside as if it were nothing, still staring at Ace and not knowing what to do next. But he relieved her of that decision anyways as he jumped in her direction and shoved her out of the way, his deep black eyes boring into hers. "What the hell are you waiting for? LEAVE!"

Without thinking it over, she nodded. Then she disappeared in a flash. She heard the Marine shout something and the pirate shout in return, but she couldn't see them anymore. They dissipated in a blur of smoke and fire.

Yami ran away as fast as she could and jumped off the house, using the shadows as usual. That was the reason she was so fast, the reason why she could disappear in less than one second. The shadows were her metier, and because of the Kage Kage no Mi she had eaten years ago, she could use them for her purposes, even control them if she tried hard. So she was at the port in less than one minute, and she needed less than that to spot the ship she wanted, run there and jump on it.

Its crew was busy with upping the anchor and setting sails to depart in this very moment, and she used the time to change into the clothes she had bought. Nobody saw her in the shadows anyway if she didn't want them to. She _was_ the shadows.

When she was finished, she looked to the port slowly shrinking in size as the ship sailed away from it, and for one second she wondered if he wouldn't come. Had the Marine beaten him up? But no, that couldn't be, he was too strong and she knew that.

With a soft smile, she watched the ship's crew. Straw Hat was there, of course, and the rest of his small crew: a green-haired guy carrying three swords at his hip – _Oh, that's Roronoa Zoro_ –, momentarily busy with climbing around and fixing the sails as well as did a blonde, slender guy. A beautiful orange-haired girl stood at the upper deck just some feet away from her, shouting commands as if she was the captain, but obviously the captain was okay with that as she saw his large grin. A long-nosed boy with black curls framing his tanned face hurried around to make the cannon ready, with a small brown animal helping him – she stared in amazement as she heard the small being _talk_. He wore a red hat with a white cross – _one moment, is he a _doctor_?_ – and a small pair of antlers came out of both sides of his furred head.

Then, she noticed the other girl. She stood further away, looking worriedly at the ships that started to follow them, her long blue ponytail waving in the wind. Next to her was a bright yellow duck with a cap on its head.

_Tch! Now look at that …_ Yami thought in surprise when a loud 'thump!' caught her attention. She smiled seeing Ace land on the lower deck, and now everyone turned around in utter confusion and very much alarmed.

"Hey, guys," he greeted them casually.

"Who are you?" the orange-haired girl required, arms akimbo, and the others also narrowed their eyes at the intruder. All but the captain.

_Aww, come on!_ Yami laughed inwardly. _Does he look like a Marine to you?_

"Ace!" Straw Hat beamed gleefully, and now everyone turned to him.

"_You know him?_"

"Yup, it's Ace, my older brother! Shishishi!"

"YOUR WHAT?" the whole crew shouted, stunned. And even Yami raised her eyebrows for no one to see.

_Oh, I did so not expect _that_ …_

"Oh yeah, hi, I'm Ace. Nice too meet ya. Well, is Luffy acting up with ya?" the young man grinned.

"ABSOLUTELY! YOU SAID A MOUTHFUL …" the whole crew shouted in unison, and the duck chimed in.

"KWEEEEEH!"

"He's an unruly pest. I really did all I could, but there was nothing better to result," the older brother grinned. If he did that, he just looked so dangerous. Dangerous but smart.

"A GREAT PITY," the crew replied, and Yami chuckled. This was indeed a weird pirate crew. Their captain didn't even seem offended one bit as he just grinned on and asked his brother about the purpose of his being here, which he answered confused with asking the boy if he didn't get his message. Obviously the younger one didn't know what he was talking about, but Ace just put it off, declaring it was not such a big deal as he was here now.

Their little conversation was interrupted by several ships coming nearer, and the long-nosed boy began to adjust the cannon.

"Those are Billion ships!" the blue-haired girl yelled frightened, but Ace just grinned.

"Yeah, I know. Leave them to me," he said and jumped over the railing.

"ACE!" everyone yelled and ran to the place he had stood seconds before, but he was already off on a small kind of boat propelled by fire. The Straw Hat Crew watched in awe as he drove further on, straight towards the ships, then launched a powerful attack at them.

"Fire Fist!", Yami heard him yell and grinned. He destroyed the whole bunch of ships at once, their crews falling or jumping overboard to save themselves from being burned, and landed safely on his boat – raft – whatever.

The crew cheered as he approached their ship again, and while rolling her eyes, she saw the wide smirk on his freckled face. "Yah, of course, that was just _so amazing_," she muttered as she stepped out of the shadows on the upper deck. Still unnoticed by the crew who continued staring at the burning ship wrecks and praising the fire user, she shook her head and looked him straight in the eyes as he came nearer on his … thingy.

Of course he noticed her instantly. As he looked up, he saw her staring at him, this annoying smirk still on her face. "_You!_" he yelled, pointing at her in astonishment as he almost fell off his … thingy.

"Yah, _me_," she sighed, feeling as if she repeated this sentence for the whole day already, and now everybody else looked at her in utter shock. "Once more: this is _not_ my name, cowboy."

* * *

**Author's note:** Yeah, you see I don't really bother about how exactly everything happened and what exactly was said in the manga/anime because I don't have a current version in front of me and the anime I possess is in German. So this is my version, I hope that doesn't spoil your fun. Please review if you liked it! (I'll rework this sometime, I promise.)

And, by the way, "kage" means "shadow".

And I love Ace. A blushing Ace is definitely cute.

Oh, and somebody just told me the crossed out "S" is a tribute to Sabo. I have to admit I didn't know that, but it would make more sense if he'd come up with the easiest explanation for that. Yami is a stranger to him after all, and I don't think he'd reveal all his secrets and feelings to her. So I'll just leave that like this.


	3. New Nakama?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 3: New Nakama?**

The crew watched with their jaws on the floor as the unknown girl wandered around casually on the upper deck of the Going Merry. She grinned at them.

"What … who are _you_, now?" the orange-haired girl asked her distrustfully. She knew from listening that her name was Nami.

And in the same moment, Luffy asked his brother, "She a friend of yours?"

"No!" Ace yelled and jumped on deck in one forceful movement. Yami giggled at the sight of his surprised expression, especially when he noticed her get-up.

_Oh boy, I knew that would please you._

Of the two dancer's outfits she had bought, one in emerald green and one in a sunny yellow colour, she had put on the green one. It was lace-trimmed, with golden threads dangling from the bra-top's bottom that tickled the bare skin of her stomach. The high-slit skirt was also delicately crossed by tiny golden strands. To top it all, she wore a plain golden bangle around her upper arm.

"Ohh, you're the most beautiful being I have ever seen …" the blonde guy, Sanji, fluted in an unnervingly high-pitched voice as his eyes turned into hearts and he clasped his hands in front of his chest in admiration.

However, he was quickly shut up by Nami punching him on the head. "Who are you?" she demanded again, glaring threateningly at the girl.

"My name's Yami, nice to meet you," she said calmly with a winning grin on her face. She had once bothered to give her real name away, but those people were something different, she could feel that deep inside. Besides, Ace knew it anyway (if he hadn't forgotten) and it would be difficult to explain to him why she didn't want him calling her with that name.

"Hey Nami, her name sounds like yours!" the sharpshooter called from behind. She saw him standing with shivering legs but acting all brave and snickered at that.

Nami ignored his interjection. She looked at Ace who stared at the newcomer with a scowl.

"Shishishi! Ace's friends are my friends too!" Luffy giggled as if he hadn't listened the past few minutes. And probably he really hadn't.

"I said she's not!" Ace shouted at him, but he just giggled on.

"Come on, Yami! Celebration time! Sanji, go prepare party food!"

Yami had to suppress the laughing fit building up in her throat. She had decided to like this boy when he had looked at her with those puppy-like eyes in the bar, half an hour ago. And this here only confirmed her with her opinion.

"Relax, all of you. I won't do you any harm," she assured them, still grinning. She heard a loud double-snort and looked at Ace and Zoro. "Sorry, what did you say?" she asked politely while Luffy, Usopp, Chopper the reindeer and the duck were already dancing around with glasses of mysterious origin in their hands, celebrating their two new nakama. Sanji wasn't unconscious anymore and continued praising the beauty of "his" three lovely ladies, and Nami looked suspiciously at the girl, undecided about whether she should trust her or not.

Ace and Zoro, for their part, did not.

"As if you could do us any harm!" the swordsman said in a scornful way. And even Ace, who was there when she had almost killed Smoker, nodded approvingly.

Yami sighed and shrugged. "Whatever. If you think so. One more reason to trust me, right?" She only found them arrogant at that moment.

The two young men hesitated. She was right with that … but perhaps there was more to her than met the eye. Or wasn't it?

"What are you doing here?" Ace demanded, still scowling at her. She swung down the railing of the upper deck, landing right in front of them, and watched amused as Ace made a step back.

"Hey, don't be afraid cowboy, I said I won't hurt you," she snickered as she adjusted the rucksack on her back.

His face darkened even further. "I said you couldn't …"

"Hey Sanji, you have anything to eat for me? Thanks to that stupid Marine I couldn't finish my dish …" she ignored Ace's saying and turned to the blonde who was the cook, obviously as Luffy addressed him several times to tell him to prepare something to eat – which he answered with several kicks in his captain's head. Really, this crew was definitely not normal. But in a positive way.

"Right now, lovely Yami!" he fluted instantly and noodled around oddly before swirling off to where the kitchen must be. She scratched her head, confused by the sudden change in his mood, but as she heard Nami sigh, she guessed that it had to be normal.

"Why does he do it for you and not for me? I'm the captain!" Luffy pouted.

Nami rolled her eyes. "Because you're not a girl, dumbass! Almost one year on this ship, and you still don't know that?"

Yami giggled despite the various death glares Ace sent her. Some men really had a problem with being ignored, she had come across that earlier. _Yah, poor cowboy_, she thought and laughed. Then she remembered the other person on the ship, the only one who hadn't said anything yet since she had appeared and stood in her own corner rigidly.

"By the way …" Yami began, addressing Nami who apparently was the smartest person in here not dancing or pouting or standing in a corner, "what's the meaning of you having the princess of Alabasta with you?"

_Silence. _

"The WHAT?" Ace stared incredulously at her, then at the blue-haired girl who had flinched and paled at her words, and back to her. "_The princess of Alabasta?_"

Yami shrugged. "Right, am I, Princess Nefertari Vivi?" she asked and smiled at the girl staring wide-eyed at her as if she was a phantom.

"Where do you know that from? I'm undercover!" the girl blurted out suddenly, and the duck chimed in with a startled "KWEEEEH!"

Nami nodded, going distrustful instantly. "Yeah, she's right. How can you know that?"

"I saw her once …" Yami muttered as pictures manifested in her mind, pictures she didn't want to see right now. "Yah, I had been here once when I was a child," she said, louder now. "What are you doing on a pirate ship, Princess-sama?"

Ace took his younger brother by the wrist. "Luffy, you know kidnapping a princess is really not nice?" he asked with his brows furrowed.

"Huh?" the younger one questioned. "Kidnapping? Of course not! Shishishi!"

Ace looked confused, and so did Yami. They saw Vivi taking a deep breath, and then, with a reassuring nod from Nami, she began to speak.

"Some months ago, I learned about a conspiracy in Alabasta. The Baroque Works, the mightiest company in our country, wants to seize power, with their boss Mister Zero leading the way. They already achieved that nobody listens to my father anymore, so the only chance I got was to infiltrate them and become a Baroque Agent myself with … Igaram." Her eyes filled with tears when she mentioned that name, and everybody looked to the floor uneasily. Nami reached out and put her hand on the princess' back comfortingly. She kept silent for a moment, then went on. "So I became Miss Wednesday and learned something about Mister Zero … his name is Sir Crocodile."

Ace cocked his eyebrows in surprise. "Sir Crocodile, _that_ Sir Crocodile? One of the shichibukai? Are you sure?"

Vivi nodded silently. "Yes, he wants all the power for himself and stops at nothing. The last thing I know about the matter is that the Rebel Army is going to call out for civil war against my father …"

"Wow, that's mean!" Yami exclaimed with a frown. "And how do you want to stop him? Obviously your disguise has been revealed."

The princess sighed and looked down. "I don't know that yet. But I'll do everything, absolutely everything to stop my country from being torn from inside!" She said it determinedly and Yami saw her clenching her fists. She smiled. This country apparently had a good princess. If her father was only half of her worth, he would be great.

"I wish you luck," she said, spontaneously impressed. "To fight one of the shichibukai …"

"I'll kick his ass!" Luffy shouted confidently with a large grin, despite the seriousness of the situation. Ace sighed and shook his head at hearing this. Yami watched them and couldn't help but smile.

"So how did you get on this ship?" she asked the princess and was glad to see her smile too.

"That's a long story", she answered and lifted her eyes to the red-haired girl. "If you want to hear it, I'll tell you …"

"Hey! We didn't even decide if we should trust her!" Zoro threw in but was ignored.

"I'd so like to hear it!" Yami assured and smiled heartily at Vivi.

Chuckling slightly, she saw Zoro roll his eyes and Ace look as if something just occurred to him. He turned to the other young man, whispering something to him that she couldn't understand. The green-haired swordsman widened his eyes and turned to look at Yami who cocked her head questioningly. "What?"

But neither of them answered. Zoro kept staring at her, then turned away and walked to the other side of the deck where he sat down, obviously sleeping. Ace just crossed his arms in front of his impressive chest.

Yami shrugged and turned to Vivi again. "So you're not kidnapped or anything?" she asked and let her glance run over the whole ship including its crew.

"Of course not!" Vivi laughed. "They said they'd help me …"

"Nami-swan! Vivi-chan! Yami-san! Lunch is ready!" they heard someone whistle from the kitchen, and after that: "Oi! Idiots! Lunch!" in a really gruff voice.

Yami failed to suppress a laughing fit. "Is he always that way?" she asked Nami with tears in her eyes, and the orange-haired girl nodded and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah he is, from the beginning on."

"Must be kinda hard," Yami laughed. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Ace huff and walk towards the kitchen and followed him. "Seems like little cowboy here is a bit touchy?" she snickered when she closed up to him, and he sent her his best death glare.

"Really, what's your problem? Why the hell are you here? And why do you insist on annoying me of all people? Go play elsewhere!" he growled.

"Three questions at once? That's too much, let me think …" she said and pretended to be thoughtful, with one hand cupping her chin. "Umm … yah. I think I know that I don't have a problem, I'm here because you are here and I just like to annoy people, so you better get used to my valuable presence," she answered and grinned happily. She didn't even have to lie. She saw Ace roll his eyes and took a hand up to her mouth to cover her smile as he walked away. This was going to be a lot of fun.

"Seems like he doesn't like you," she heard a shy voice from behind and she was surprised to see the small reindeer stand next to a barrel indecisively.

She smiled at the animal and went on her knees to make herself smaller as she felt that he was nervous. "Oh, no, I don't think so. He only acts like this because he wants to cover his delight to see me again," she explained and chuckled in amusement.

The reindeer looked at her pensively. "But he said you weren't friends," he pointed out.

She grinned. "Yes, that's his version." She reached out one hand. "Now come, or we'll have to go hungry," she said, remembering the tendency of Ace's younger brother to stuff himself with every food he could grab. And really, as they came into the dining room, she stopped dead seeing the boy _extending his arms_ to steal away his crewmates' food. She gaped incredulously, pointing to the unbelievable sight right in front of her.

Nami noticed her staring and shrugged. "Before you ask, yes, he's always like this," she said and winced as Sanji's foot kicked a hand away from her food only inches away from her face.

"Yami-saaan, I saved your portion from this idiot, please sit down and enjoy!" the cook fluted with heart-shaped eyes and she giggled seeing him really having a hard time protecting her plate against the grabbing rubber hands of his captain.

"Thank you so much, Sanji-kun," she said and bowed to him politely before sitting down and starting to eat, causing him to almost faint with pleasure.

"Never do that!" Nami hissed from her left. "He'll topple down or get unconscious, and then Chopper will have to look for any blood clots in his brain …"

Yami snorted with laughter as she saw the blonde man raise slowly, rubbing his head. "Stupid ero-cook …" she heard Zoro mutter under his breath, but it was loud enough for Sanji to hear, and so he immediately took up the challenge.

"What was that?" he snarled at the swordsman, and at the drop of a hat they crashed together in a ball of blades and boots.

Yami stared at the scene with fascination, completely forgetting about her food-filled plate and the tendency of certain rubber boys not to worry about belongings and properties. When she tore herself away from the fighting scene, she found it empty and squealed indignantly, seeing the last bit of her wonderful coq au vin dish disappear in Luffy's rubber mouth.

"That's unfair! I didn't even get a bite!" she yelled at him. Nami sighed while Vivi giggled and the rest of the table shook from suppressed laughter. Except Luffy who didn't even bother to listen to the accusations against him. And except Sanji, who immediately forgot about the fight with the swordsman and came at the thief to beat the living daylights out of him for stealing "his precious Yami-chwan's" food.

When he was done with it, he apologised to Yami for not having paid attention to her and her well-being, and promised to make it better next time. Then he disappeared into the kitchen and came back with another plate filled with coq au vin, which he served her with a fluted compliment about her beauty. As Luffy, who had recovered quickly, began to drool at the sight of the new plate, immediately forgetting about having been beaten up for stealing from Yami's last plate, she couldn't help but laugh until tears streamed down her cheeks.

_God, I love this ship!_ she thought happily. For the first time in years, she was at peace.

* * *

**Author's note:** Writing Luffy and Sanji is so much fun. I love the Straw Hats. And I love Yami. And Ace. To sum it up, I LOVE THEM ALL.

Please review if you love them too ;-)

Oh, and someone just asked if she had eaten the same fruit as Blackbeard … No, she hasn't. His one was the Yami Yami no Mi (yeah, stupid coincidence^^), so the "Darkness-Darkness" Fruit. Hers is the Shadow-Shadow Fruit. She can do things with shadows, not that overly powerful "I'm-gonna-take-away-your-powers-right-now" thing. Yah. In fact, Gecko Moria uses the Kage Kage no Mi too, I apologise for not having seen that before but it's not the same, and there is no other name I could give her fruit for shadows are the exact thing she deals with.


	4. What Shall We Do With the Drunken Pirate

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

**Author's note: **I'm sorry for the slight LuNa in there (Actually, I'm not^^), but I just couldn't help myself ... That's just because I'm I and I love LuNa.

* * *

**Chapter 4: What Shall We Do With the Drunken Pirate?**

As the day went on, they had all gotten used to having two more people on board, even if they knew absolutely nothing about one of them. Yami's taking personality had won them over – and, as she thought about it, she had to admit that they, too, had won her heart. Even the grumpy swordsman who still mistrusted her, and so did Ace – but as she had kind of known him before, that didn't bother her. She just had to give him time.

In the evening, they had the party Luffy had requested, with lots of food (even more than they had had as lunch, which had been quite impressive) and lots of alcohol, much to Yami's joy. She giggled on and on as Luffy, Usopp, Chopper, and the duck began to dance with sticks stuck in their noses and out of their mouths, singing a shanty but confusing the words accidentally so it got out really funny. The duck shouted "KWEEEEH!" from time to time. Apparently the four of them who didn't drink as much as the others didn't need any alcohol to act as if they were drunk.

Sanji didn't drink anything, he just prepared cocktails for Nami and Yami (perhaps with the intention of making them drunk) and virgin ones for Vivi who also refused drinking alcohol. The redhead was surprised at how much her orange-haired companion could take, and that meant quite something as she herself was very good at drinking. But that was nothing against the swordsman. Zoro downed one beaker after the other, be it beer or sake or the whiskey they still had from Whiskey Peak, giving Ace hard times to stand the pace, as Yami noticed with amusement. Yet the fire user tried, and that was how it came that he started laughing and singing with the three younger ones.

Yami had a nice talk with the princess (as Nami was very close to join the four dancing boys after a while), and she asked her again how come she had joined the Straw Hat Pirates. Vivi quickly put it off saying she wasn't a real member of the crew, being the princess she was.

"They found me and my former partner, Mister Nine, sneaking on the ship when we were on our mission to kill that monumental whale down Reverse Mountain," she explained and Yami's eyes widened.

"THAT monster? Really? Why?"

"As provisions for Whiskey Peak," the princess answered. "Perhaps Crocodile even just wanted him out of the way, or he wanted _us_ out of the way, I don't know. But we failed as this ship was swallowed by the whale …"

"REALLY?" Yami gaped.

Vivi smiled. "Yes, he swallowed them and they saved us out of the water – umm, the whale's gastric acid."

Yami twisted her mouth in disgust.

"Then they took us prisoners since we acted like the last idiots and they wanted to protect the whale. We could free ourselves before we reached Whiskey Peak and swam there ourselves to warn the people. They planned a huge party for them, with a drinking contest to make them drunk and all whiskey for free, and they even mixed some soporific in it. But that only partially worked, as you can easily imagine seeing how well Zoro can hold his liquor …"

They both giggled. Yami glanced at the swordsman downing one beaker after the other and sometimes quarrelling idly with the cook. Ace was still dancing with Usopp, Chopper, and the duck, his hat dangling down his back and now he had some sticks in his nose too. Yami pressed one fist on her mouth so as not to laugh out loud at that sight. Luffy and Nami spun around like mad, holding each other by the hands in the progress and laughing all the while. _This is quite interesting_, Yami thought with a smirk as she watched the two. _They'd make a lovely couple._

"However," Vivi continued after a pause and Yami turned back to her, "the moment the bounty hunters from Whiskey Peak wanted to capture them, Zoro appeared on a rooftop. He really ran them hard, poor guys …" She smiled. "Nami was also awake since she mistrusted the townspeople, even if she won the drinking contest."

This surprised the red-haired girl. "Oh really?" she asked, watching said girl toppling over. Luffy caught her before she could hit the floor, inciting Sanji to come at him for touching 'his' Nami-swan. Ace lay on the floor, sleeping peacefully. His narcolepsy, obviously.

"Yes, really," the princess smiled heartily. "If there is money involved of any kind, Nami is another person completely. So she let Igaram hire them to take me to Alubarna because the Baroque Agents Mister Two and Miss Valentine were already there to eliminate us for we had found out Crocodile's secret …" she said, quieter now.

_That name again_, Yami thought and cocked her head, thinking about how to ask. "Umm, Vivi …" she said carefully and the princess looked up at her. "Who is Igaram?"

"Oh," she said and smiled sadly. "Igaram is … was … my bodyguard since I was a child. He became a Baroque Agent too to protect me. He got killed in an explosion shortly after he departed from the island to distract the Baroque Agents …" Her voice trailed off.

Yami felt sorry for her. It was hard to lose a person that had been so close to you all your life, and nobody could tell that better than her. Yet she didn't know what to say. She wasn't good at such things, and so she only touched the princess' arm in a consoling gesture.

"It's okay," she said, but Yami saw her struggling to keep the tears from escaping her eyes. "He died protecting me after all, and that's why I'll do anything to prove that his sacrifice was not for nothing."

They sat there in silence for a few minutes so that Vivi could regain her composure. Then she sighed and looked up. "I'm sorry, it's just … it seems to me as if it was only yesterday. I can't forget …"

"You'll never forget," Yami said calmly, and the princess looked at her in surprise. "You'll never forget because it will always seem as if it happened only yesterday. But you'll get used to it after all." She knew her words weren't really comforting, but they were the truth. And the truth was always hard to swallow.

"You lost someone too, am I right?" Vivi asked her quietly, and she nodded, her expression unreadable.

"My parents."

"I'm so sorry," Vivi said sympathetically. They kept quiet for some moments, then Yami started laughing, and the princess looked at her, irritated.

"Now look at us. Sitting here and whining around. They'd scold us if they saw us like this!"

And the princess began to smile again. "I suppose you're right."

Yami sighed and took her arms up behind her head. Chopper and Usopp sat on the ground, seeming exhausted, and started eating again. Sanji was busy quarrelling with Zoro, and Ace sat leaned against the railing, a beaker in his hand. He was staring at her, but as she caught him in the act, he looked away quickly. Luffy and Nami were nowhere to be seen, and she wondered if nobody else noticed it. But apparently not.

"Yes, that's the way I came here," Vivi said calmly. "I'm so glad I found them. Carue also likes them." She pointed at the duck momentarily drinking something out of a beaker with a drinking straw. "They are the most amazing people I have ever met …"

"I absolutely understand," Yami said sincerely and reached out for a whiskey beaker herself. While gulping down the burning liquid, she mused about this strange pirate crew. Really strange, being hired as bodyguards to take a princess back home and help her save her country … She couldn't help but like them.

"Vivi-darling! Yami-chan! I've got some more cocktails for you … wait … where's Nami-swan?" Sanji asked as he blinked in confusion.

"She just said she'd go to bed, thanks Sanji-kun," Yami assured him before he could also notice his captain's absence. "You better not disturb her. I'll take her cocktail so that your effort was not for nothing." And she cast Vivi a warning glance who looked at her bewildered and not understanding one single word. "You better sleep on deck tonight," she muttered under her breath, only for Vivi to hear.

"You're so cute and so beautiful, the loveliest maiden I've ever seen …" Sanji fluted and Yami struggled to keep her face seriously.

_A maiden, the best joke I've ever heard …_ she thought with clenched teeth to prevent herself from laughing out loud. _I've probably had more men in one year than you had women in your entire life!_

Ace, obviously, didn't take the effort of restraining himself as she heard a loud snort from where he sat. Irritated, Sanji looked at him, and just as the idiot cowboy was about to say something, she was at his side in an instant, cutting him off by pressing her hand over his cheeky mouth. "Shut up, idiot, or do you want to shatter this poor guy's world view into pieces?" she muttered lowly. He snorted again with her hand still on his mouth, something he immediately regretted for it felt like he kissed her palm. She just giggled at the ticklish feeling. "Stop that!" she said. "I'll only take my hand away when you promise you'll behave."

"Hmmgmk Mhhmmh Mhmmhng …"

"What?" she giggled and lifted her hand a bit so that she could at least understand what he was saying.

"I don't promise anything!" He scowled at her, but the twitching corners of his mouth betrayed his saying. He looked just so damn cute when he tried hard not to laugh, and the feeling of his breath against her palm was surprisingly likable.

"Sorry, then there's nothing I can do for you," she snickered and put it back on his mouth. He rolled his eyes and removed it but had to hold on to her wrists because she struggled to do it again.

"Forget it," he smirked almost evilly.

She huffed. "You've gotta drink more, you know?" she told him. "You're no fun like this."

"Yeah, so that you can seduce me again?"

She was stunned for a moment. Then she chuckled slightly, "Ha, you weren't drunk then, and I didn't …" She stopped as she saw him clenching his teeth. Obviously that was something he hadn't really wanted to say. _Drunk yet again, huh?_

She felt like completely understanding him.

* * *

He really couldn't stand the expression on her face. Amused, almost pleased with what he had confessed accidentally. Really, it was almost a confession, a confession that he still hadn't forgotten that night. _Damn me!_ he cursed inwardly. _It was nothing but a damn one-night stand to her! And a bad one at that! A wonder she still remembers! Man, you're way too drunk, you should go to bed now …_

But then she turned and looked at the remaining Straw Hat Pirates. "It's okay, you needn't be ashamed," she mumbled with a soft smile on her face, so soft that his heart skipped a beat at seeing this. And when she looked him right in the eyes, he felt like falling. Falling over the railing and right into the sea beneath them. He had to clench his fingers tightly around the wooden hand rail so as to be assured he was still standing, still there. What she said next almost caused him to jump.

"I couldn't forget that either …" She smiled as if she had read his earlier thoughts. "And now let's show Zoro how to drink, okay?"

Ace couldn't do anything but nod at her strange confession and abrupt change of the subject. Deeply dazed, he followed her to where the swordsman sat alone by the mast. Chopper and Usopp played something with Vivi; Sanji stood somewhere smoking and the remaining two others were still away.

_God. Is this really happening? Has she really …? She lied obviously, but why? To make me feel better?_

"Yo!" Yami greeted the green-haired young man who glared at her as she just sat down next to him without bothering to ask. Smiling at Ace, she patted the floor next to her, and he followed the unspoken invitation and sat down too, still indulging in his own thoughts.

"Whatcha want?" Zoro mumbled grumpily as ever. She grinned and took a bottle standing near him, taking a sip (okay, a big sip) and handing it over to Ace afterwards.

"Drinking contest?" she joked and giggled.

"Leave me alone," he grumbled.

"Okay," she said. And stayed where she was.

The swordsman stared to the ground for a few minutes, not saying anything but drinking out of his beaker from time to time.

Finally Yami's patience was apparently worn off, and she started to giggle again as a thought came into her mind. "Where's your brother?" she muttered just as loud for Ace to hear, and he shrugged, not very interested.

"Why should I know?"

She giggled again. "Oh, man. I hope you told him the facts of life?"

He didn't understand and just stared at her blankly. "What?"

She put one hand on her mouth. "You can count, can't you?"

"What?" he asked, even more confused and upset about her hinting strange things he didn't quite get.

She sighed, clearly annoyed by his momentary stupidity. "Yah, do me a favour and count everyone on this ship. Don't look!" She turned his head towards her so that he faced her. "Now count," she commanded.

"Umm … There's Zoro, Sanji, Chopper, Luffy of course …" It was hard for him to concentrate when her face was so damn close to his. "Nami, Vivi, and Usopp. And the two of us." _The two of us, could I say something any dumber?_ "Nine persons. So what?" he asked, annoyed at himself.

She grinned and released his head, her hands leaving hot spots on his cheeks. "Now count again."

He stared at her with his brows furrowed, but then he obeyed. "Zoro, Sanji, Vivi, Chopper, Usopp, you and me." _Better. You and me is better. Sounds like a random term._

Then he frowned. Really, something was wrong … "Luffy's not here …" he said and felt very stupid.

"That makes eight persons," she smirked.

Then, finally, he got it, and he stared at her incredulously, his mouth gaping more than slightly and his eyes as big as saucers. "You mean …?"

"Yup."

"When did they …?"

"Half an hour ago."

He couldn't do anything but stare. She giggled. "You're looking cute again."

As he blushed furiously because of several reasons, she ran her finger over his inflamed cheek. Not literally, of course, but on the brink.

"No need to burn, darling."

_As if she could read my damn thoughts!_

He tore himself away from her before it could get any worse, his thoughts running like mad in his head that felt like a sieve all of a sudden. "Stop that!" he growled and she turned away with a soft laugh.

* * *

"Get yourself a room and stop being such a pain in the ass!" Zoro growled from her other side, and she rolled her eyes from being growled at so much.

"Really, what can I do to prove me worthy to your precious trust?" she asked with a sigh.

Ace stood up brusquely and went towards the boys' quarters. _Oh dear. Just be careful, perhaps you'll find something you don't really want to see in there …_ she warned him silently but then turned to Zoro again, looking expectantly. She was not so surprised seeing his death glare on herself. "Man, come on! It's not like I'd kill you after all!" she pouted.

"Oh really? And why should I believe you?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

She shrugged. "First, why should I? I'm a pirate and you're pirates, why the hell should I? And second, you yourself told me I couldn't if I tried," she stated calmly.

He laughed harshly. "Yes, but at that time I didn't know your little blade was at _Smoker's_ _throat_ today."

She smiled to herself. _Now that's the way the cookie crumbles._ "Okay. Then go on and mistrust me. You're the first mate and I appreciate your decision, even if I know it's nonsense. I don't know if I would trust myself if I were you. You have to take care for a whole crew after all." She knocked on the floor twice with her knuckles and rose to her feet. "Good night then, Roronoa Zoro."

He didn't answer, but she felt his glare following her as she went to the other side of the ship. There, at the ship's back, she sat down and pulled her new cloak out of her rucksack. She didn't really know what was going on with the captain and the navigator, but if they did it – whatever it was – in the girls' cabin (and that was what she suspected), she would be better off sleeping out here. She hoped Vivi would just fall asleep on deck, but most likely the cook would carry her to her room in his arms. Poor Luffy, if it really ended up that way.

She pulled the cloak around her with a smile. Yah, she really liked this ship.

* * *

**Author's note:** Oh yeah, I like the idea of Ace blushing … Sorry for the melancholic part. But I laughed so much at the thought of Ace with sticks in his nose … mwahahaha … If he only knew … I think he'd kill me on the spot xD


	5. Sleepless on the Grand Line

******Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Sleepless on the Grand Line**

Ace couldn't sleep. He tried, but the harder he did, the more nervous he got. He could hear his heart ringing in his ears as he lay in the hammock they had put up extra for him. And this time, he knew his narcolepsy had absolutely nothing to do with it.

It should be easy. Seeing her again, so what? _So damn what?_

But it wasn't. The whole day, since the incident in Nanohana, he'd felt like this – and he hated it. With her, he felt relegated into the past, three years ago, when he had been a newbie on the sea, a newbie on a pirate island, and had been taught love lessons by a girl who was just one year younger than him. He was not a newbie anymore, he was the Second Division Commander of the famous Whitebeard Pirates, and he hated how she made him feel in her presence. Like a child. Like a goddamn newbie.

He wanted to tell her that, spit it out. He wasn't a child. Or a newbie. Many things had happened in these three years, and just because of that one damn night she had no right to … yeah, what? To follow him? To act like she knew him since half an eternity?

The worst thing about it was, he felt this too. He felt pierced through by her blue eyes, like she could see right into his soul. And that didn't only make him nervous – it freaking scared the hell out of him. He didn't even know her. He had only seen her naked.

With a deep sigh, he turned to the other side. This was useless, and he knew that. He was the only one in the boys' quarters, which told him that everyone else was either sleeping on deck or (more likely) still awake. Or in the girls' room. Really, this was unexpected. Yami was a good observer. _No, she was just neither drunk nor naïve._

He threw his thin blanket away with a growl. Really, this was so useless. He had to get out again, who had made this damn room so excruciatingly hot? But he was almost afraid of finding _her_ on deck …

_No, I'm not!_ he scolded himself. _Freaking hell, I won't be afraid of a stupid girl!_

Climbing out of his hammock, he decided to go to the dining room and look if this delicious-looking fruit basket was still there. While going out and closing the door, he avoided glancing at the party scene. It wasn't important if she saw him or not. He just went to the dining room, took two nectarines and went out straight away to the ship's back. He wanted some silence, some peace, some time to think – even if he didn't know about what exactly. Just as he was about to get around the corner, he heard a door open and stopped, watching two figures get out of the girls' room.

_Oh damn, she really was right. Tch, little brother. _

He shook his head as he walked away, smiling. The ship's rear wasn't lit-up, so it took him some time until he noticed the figure slumped against the railing. He heard her breathing first, small and almost noiseless, and clenched his fists when he recognised her. _Really, fate must be kidding me. Wasn't this just the reason I got here, to be alone?_

Standing still, he watched her by enlightening one of his fingers. She was wrapped up in a dark cloak like in a blanket, her head tilted to the side and slightly backwards, and her mouth gaped delicately. He had to admit, when she was sleeping, she looked not half as scary to him as when she was awake. She looked rather cute, with her cheeks blushing just as much as for him to notice and her dark red hair framing her face like graceful dark curtains.

He kept silent, just watching as he saw the dark fabric lift and sink gently in the rhythm of her slow breaths, not wanting to wake her. But why did she sleep here and not in the girls' … _oh._

But they weren't there anymore, so he could wake her up now, she could go to bed, a real bed or a hammock, and not on the cold, hard floor with the night wind blowing around her. She could catch a cold out here.

_Wait a moment – am I just _worrying_ about her?_

He must have snorted out loud, for the next thing he noticed was the blinking of her eyes as she opened them slowly.

_Crap!_

She saw him (_Damn, the fire!_) and blinked some more, then she yawned. "What, 'sit just morning?" she asked sleepily.

"No. Notice the darkness around you? That usually tells you it's _night_," he couldn't prevent saying in a mocking tone. But she didn't seem to get it anyways, she must have slept here for a bit longer.

"Then lemme sleep," she only mumbled and turned her head to the other side.

Ace smiled as he got the right idea. "I just wanted to tell you that the girls' room is empty now," he said. "Go sleep in there. It's cold outside."

She opened her eyes again. "Huh? Oh yah, right. I think I'll stay here, just too lazy to raise …"

He shrugged and wanted to turn, but he couldn't. He couldn't just leave her here. Even if she was a pirate and probably used to more uncomfortable conditions than that, just like him. If there was a bed, she should sleep in it. She just looked so vulnerable now, what if a Marine ship came in the night and took her right a– _Stop that, idiot! God, she's a pirate! And most likely not half as vulnerable as you think her to be! So stop worrying about her so stupidly right now!_

But he couldn't. So he took a few steps in her direction, all the while cursing himself for his damn benevolence. "Get up. You'll get a cold if you sit here all night long." He could just take her up and carry her in his arms, but that would really go too far. "Come on, girl."

She protested as he took her cloak away from her, clutching it tight while he pulled on it, and so he had her toppling over. "Stupid cowboy, I can take care of myself very well …" she muttered, but he reached his goal as she stood up to follow him who carried her cloak away, waving it in front of her as if it was a bait. He chuckled about her discontented face, she really looked cute, but he bet if he told her that her reaction wouldn't be half as satisfying for him as his must have been for her.

Instead, he kept on luring her to the girls' room, hoping there would be no remains of … whatever, but no, there weren't any, just maps sprawled out all over the desk. He pointed to the auxiliary sleeping place on the floor, tenderly arranged, of course this was Sanji's work, and she trotted there, too tired to contradict.

He hesitated one moment as he thought about just throwing her cloak towards her and hoping it would hit the target, but then he made an effort. He went to where she had just lain down and spread the piece of clothing out over her. She mumbled something that suspiciously sounded like "Thanks stupid cowboy", then went back to sleep immediately. He looked at her for a moment, then smiled and left the room quietly.

This girl had him going crazy. The way she acted, her stupid carelessness or whatever it was, and this annoying smirk every time … Really, he hadn't seen her without either this smirk or at least a smile. Did she even know how to look serious? Did she even feel serious sometimes? She had seemed so when she had told him this thing about that awkward night … awkward for him, because he had been so stupid. But it had felt great then, the way she had taken up the reins and showed him … _Argh, stupid! Stupid boy, stupid pirate …_

And besides, he was sure it had been faked. She had only said that to make him feel better. Or something like that. Perhaps this was her plan, to make him trusting her and then …

_Yeah, what? Kill me? Kidnap me? Rape me? Not that she'd have to try so hard at this …_ he mused and felt his mouth twist slightly at the thought. But he scolded himself immediately for thinking such bullshit. Of course he didn't want to repeat that night, it wasn't like he had waited all time for her to show up. He had had enough other girls in the meantime, so why the hell was it her who didn't want to get out of his head? Why was it always her picture in his mind overlapping with any girl's face when …

No, that was wrong, definitely. He had no such thoughts. Perhaps one of those girls had had red hair, or other features that reminded him of her. Random things, really. Nothing to worry about. She had just been one of them.

Slowly eating his nectarines, he stood propped at the railing on the upper deck. Below, the others decided to go to bed, one after the other. Sanji swooned over the two girls like the love-sick idiot he was, eager to take them to their beds (which they rejected, one politely and the other with a clenched fist). They passed him and for a short moment, he was tempted to warn them to not wake up the sleeping girl inside, but then he dismissed this idea immediately. He wasn't her bodyguard nor her husband nor boyfriend nor equal things, he wasn't even her friend after all. It was her funeral, not his.

Sanji and Zoro went to bed too, quarrelling all the while, and Usopp, Chopper, and Carue already slept on deck, propped at each other and snoring loudly.

Ace turned when he felt a presence behind his back. "Oi, Luffy. Had your fun, right?"

"What you mean?" the boy asked, and as the older one turned to him he saw his innocent face. "Nami just showed me some maps and wouldn't let me go. That was boring," he said and pouted. "She acted all weird. She even …" Ace saw his brother going crimson, even in the darkness only illuminated by one single lantern.

He smiled. "What did she do?"

"She … kissed me."

Ace cocked his eyebrows as Luffy said nothing more. He seemed embarrassed. That was all? They kissed? Really, he should have trained him better. But, otherwise … _he_ wouldn't be in this kind of trouble if he'd never have let himself in for this girl momentarily sleeping soundly in the girls' room. He sighed.

"Let's go get something to eat!" Luffy exclaimed all of a sudden. "I couldn't eat for hours!"

Ace snickered at his brother's happy face and agreed to raid the fridge.


	6. Appetite

******Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Appetite**

Yami awoke when the two other girls were still sleeping. She had slept so soundly she hadn't even noticed them coming in, and …

_One moment. How did I get in here?_ she wondered, puzzled. She remembered having decided to sleep outside because of possible ongoing projects in here … but …

Then some vague memories of Ace taking her here occurred to her. _Hm, strange. Why did he do that?_ She decided to dismiss that, perhaps he had just seen her there and she had been in his way or something.

She yawned and went to the bathroom, noticing she still wore yesterday's clothes and decided to wash them now to put on the other set of clothes she had bought in Nanohana. And a shower, she definitely needed a shower, so she was glad the bathroom door wasn't locked. She went in and closed it behind her, yawning, and not realising the sound of the shower being at work until someone peered around the shower curtain and yelled at her. "God, you freakin' scared me! Out! Now!"

She jumped in shock at the sudden yelling. She had been so drowsy that she really hadn't noticed Ace being in the shower. "My! Ever heard of locking a door?" she muttered. Then, with a smirk, "I could join you, if you like …"

"GET THE HELL OUT!"

Still smirking, she left the bathroom and sat on the floor right in front of it. Really, if this idiot wanted to make her a scene, she could blame him as well. Why did he leave the door unlocked when he didn't want someone coming in and taking him by surprise?

"Oh, my dear Yami-swan, why are you sitting on the floor out here? I could bring you a pillow to sit on …"

"Morning, Sanji-kun," she smiled at the cook appearing next to her. "No thank you, I'm just waiting for the cowboy to finish his shower …"

"Cowboy? Ah, you mean Ace! Is he in there?" As she nodded, he went over to the door with the clear intent to kick it in, and she hurried to tell him that it was unlocked. Without thinking about where she knew that from, he ripped the door open and shouted, "You really want this maiden to wait here until you're finished? I'll kick your fire ass if you don't come out within one minute!"

"DAMN, GET OUTTA HERE!" she heard Ace yell and chuckled in amusement.

"HURRY UP, IDIOT!" Sanji yelled before he smashed the door shut again. Then he turned to Yami again. "I'll make sure you won't have to wait much longer. He really is an idiot, excuse him for he doesn't know how to treat a lady."

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Ace yelled from inside the bathroom, and she could almost see him standing there, literally burning with anger. She laughed about the two young men shouting insults at each other through the closed bathroom door, and as Ace came out two minutes later, his face was darkened with anger. He and the cook glared threateningly at each other as he passed him, and even Yami got off with a death glare – which she thought was very cute. No, she wasn't afraid of him. She sent him her cutest bed head smile as she disappeared into the bathroom and locked the door behind her, for she didn't know how much of a pervert there was in the love-cook – or anybody else on that ship, including Ace.

When she was finished with showering and dressing up again (in the yellow dress that time, for the green one had just been washed), she applied her obligatory lipstick and then walked out, sending Sanji to higher realms just by smiling at him. "You're the sun in the sky, no, you're shining even brighter …"

She thought about how long it had been since she had had a man the last time as she walked to the dining room, in the progress thinking about how it would be with the cook. But the only thing occurring to her was the blonde young man fainting when she took off her top, and she giggled in amusement. Yes, if she wanted to get laid properly on this ship, she would most likely have to see Ace. She wasn't a sodomist or a paedophile, and the swordsman would only ignore her or suspect her to cut his throat while being at it or something. No, it had to be Ace … or she had to wait until the next island. She couldn't say she had any objections against a second time with the cowboy. Perhaps he had, but there was nothing against asking. And she would do that soon.

When she entered the dining room, she noticed that it was empty. A nice smell emanated from the kitchen, obviously Sanji had something in the oven while he was washing. She sat in a corner and decided to use the privateness to train her abilities a bit. The sun had not yet risen, so there were shadows enough. She played with them until she even managed to reverse the shadows with the light. She could not yet summon them properly, and that was a pity, but with a bit of training, perhaps …

That was when the door opened and Sanji came in. She hid in the shadows where she sat, but completely unaware of everything, he went straight to the kitchen and she heard him rattling with pans and pots.

Ace was the next to come in, he sat at the table and picked up a nectarine from the fruit basket. She watched him as he nibbled leisurely at the fruit until Nami and Vivi came in, accompanied by Carue. They yawned (one more decently, the other rather widely), greeted him and Sanji (who immediately overwhelmed them with compliments and wishes about their sleep hopefully having been well), then sat at the table too. After a talk about jewellery which the flame user deliberately ignored, they turned to him.

"Actually, we wondered about why you're here. Did you just want to meet Luffy, or is there another thing?" Nami asked curiously. Yami, from where she sat, wondered if he would tell them the truth, but yes, he did.

He cleared his throat. "You know I'm a member of Whitebeard's crew," he began and the girls nodded. "There was this guy, Marshall D. Teach. He committed the worst crime you can commit on a pirate ship. Killing a nakama and fleeing before we could punish him."

Vivi looked at him wide-eyed. "He killed another crew member?"

"KWEEEH?" Carue asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah. And since Teach was my subordinate, I volunteered to take revenge. He just can't get away with something like this."

Nami and Vivi nodded.

"And since then I'm searching for him, collecting hints everywhere, but most of the time it's like I'm hunting a phantom." He sighed. "Like he's fallen off the face of the earth. But I won't rest until I've found him …"

"MEEEEAAAAT!" Luffy interrupted their little conversation, running inside and into the kitchen, out of which he was immediately kicked by the cook.

"Just wait, you idiot! Did I say something about breakfast being ready?"

"No, but I want it to!" the boy grinned. Yami smiled as he sat down at the table, gripping his cutlery and hitting the tabletop with it, making such a noise in the process that Nami gave him a punch on the head.

After a few more minutes, the cook relieved him. "Now it's ready. But as you disturbed me, you'll go and get Yami-san," Sanji ordered, and Luffy pouted.

"But Sanji …"

"Don't bother, I'm here already," Yami said and every person already in the room almost jumped and turned to her in utter astonishment, jaws on the floor.

"How did you get in?" Ace asked in surprise and tried to sound sincere by putting on a scowl. He hadn't seen her when he had entered the room, so his question was quite justified.

She put it off with a wave of her hand. "Oh, I was there the whole time, didn't you see me?" she smiled. "A blind cowboy, now look at that …"

Ace kept on scowling at her. Nami narrowed her eyes, not quite believing her, but then put it off.

"Wow, she's invisible!" Luffy yelled and showed his wide grin. "That's so cooool!"

She laughed at his expression. "No, that's not quite right," she corrected. "But I can be very … let's say … inconspicuous, if I want."

Still mustered by wary looks, she sat down on the spare chair next to Ace. But by the time every crew member was there and breakfast began, her mysterious appearance was soon forgotten. Solely Ace stole glances at her from time to time, and she was sure _he_ wouldn't forget. She was curious how long it would take him to discover her little secret. And if she wanted that at all.

Breakfast passed without any disturbances, which meant everyone defeating the usual greedy rubber hands grabbing their food, some random quarrels, but mostly laughter. Ace even managed to fall asleep so that his freckled face splashed right into the soup – and the others laughed a great deal at this. Like it had been the day before, Sanji's food tasted like heaven, and Yami as well as Ace (when he had woken up again and cleaned his face) indulged themselves in the unknown pleasure.

After it, everybody went to his or her own occupation on the ship, and as Yami had nothing to do, she sat down in a beach chair on the lower deck next to Nami and Vivi who were enjoying the sun. From time to time, Sanji came down to bring them exotic drinks which they accepted thankfully.

And she had no choice but to suspect the green-haired swordsman, apparently asleep, of watching her every step and listening to every word she said. She put it off with a shrug. She didn't tell any secrets or things that spoke of a bad character, for she didn't consider herself bad, and he could also sit in front of her if he wanted to.

"So what are you after?" Nami asked her after a while. "One Piece? Or do you look for a pirate crew to join?"

"No, no, I'm already with one. At least, almost. It's nothing so great though, they're no fun, and I'm seriously considering not to join them," Yami answered. "At the moment I'm on a mission for my captain wannabe, as some sort of performance test. I only accepted because it had something to do with that little cowboy here and I thought it wasn't so bad to see him again." She smiled at the thought.

"So you knew him before," the navigator stated, and Yami nodded with a smirk but said nothing more, so the orange-haired girl soon returned to the book she was reading.

Yami enjoyed the sun. It was nice to have nothing to do after all the research and restlessness she had to endure because finding that boy hadn't been as easy as she had thought it to be. "When will we arrive in Elumalu?" she asked after a short pause.

"Umm, two or three days, depending on how strong the wind will blow," Nami said, looking at the clear blue sky.

* * *

After three hours of doing nothing except lying there and enjoying the sun and watching the boys fishing with one protesting Carue as their bait, Yami had enough. Looking for distraction, she soon found Ace in the crow's nest, sleeping and with his ridiculous hat pulled over his face. Obviously he had fallen asleep while on watch.

With a devilish smirk, she crouched next to him. He didn't realise anything (as he was sleeping), not until she positioned herself by his side and bit his earlobe. With a surprised gasp, he awoke and looked right into her cheery face. "The hell!" he shouted. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm bored," she told him, bent down and kissed his shoulder. She felt him wince but continued her way up to his neck, leaving slight traces of red lipstick, her lips lingering at his weirdly hot skin. _He tastes like … mmmh … like …_ But she couldn't finish her thoughts because he pulled away after he had overcome the shock and almost jumped at his feet, looking down at her angrily and also a bit incredulous.

"What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?" he scolded with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

She stood up too. "Oh, nothing. I told you, I'm bored. Entertain me," she smirked.

* * *

_What the hell is she doing?_

"You …" He was speechless. "You are bored," he stated blankly after a pause, and she nodded gleefully.

"Yah, and I think you're bored too, so what about some fun …?"

"What about …" He gaped at her. "Are you crazy?"

"No, why?"

"Because …" He searched for a proper response, but in vain. His thoughts just didn't want to stop swirling around in his mind, and the stupid feeling on his shoulder where she had kissed him _just wouldn't go away_. He clenched his teeth as he couldn't find anything to say.

"I won't sleep with you just because you're bored! Just go play elsewhere!" he therefore snorted and turned away, ready to transform into a fireball and jump at the ship's deck when she held him back.

"There's nobody to play with," she complained (he could almost see her cute pout) and he could feel her arms wrapping around his waist. His world stood still for a moment, everything was in slow motion suddenly … "Except you." And with that she went on kissing his back, his shoulders, and he had to concentrate so hard not to sigh with pleasure at the violent shiver her gentle touches sent down his spine.

Instead, he snatched her hands which grazed his chest ever so softly and turned around, hissing at her, which demanded all his strength. "Stop that, you …" he desperately searched for words in his head while everything in there was just spinning around, "… you _psycho!_"

She looked at him with wide eyes – then broke out into laughter. "_Psycho?_" she uttered in between waves of laughter flooding her over and making her body tremble fiercely. "Cowboy just called me _psycho_ …"

With a growl he turned away and this time he managed to get out of the crow's nest before something worse could happen. Really, hadn't he been so surprised with her plump advances, he would have stopped her immediately. What the hell did she think she was doing? _What the hell?_

And this strange stupid feeling just wouldn't go away. He wanted to hit himself so badly, hit all the spots on his skin that burned now, to forget about how soft her lips had felt as they had touched it … And, last but not least, smash his damn stupid head in with that damn stupid useless brain in it.

Angry and deeply irritated, he made his way to the boys' quarters. He needed some rest now, some silence, or he would explode here and now. Just as he entered the room, he met Usopp on his way out, and the long-nosed boy stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes fell on the young man.

"Umm, Ace … y-you're b-b-burning …" he heard him say carefully as if not to aggravate him.

"Wha– _fuck!_" he yelled as he noticed it, and Usopp watched incredulously as Ace started extinguishing the flames on his upper body by hitting himself.

* * *

In the crow's nest, Yami sighed, propping herself up at the hand rail and watching the object of her appetite disappear into the ship's superstructure without looking at her once more.

_Stupid cowboy. I know you want it, so why are you denying it?_

As far as she was concerned, there was nothing wrong with two people just having fun. She just had to convince him of that, at least as long as they were on this ship. Which meant about two or three more days. Not only because of her boredom, but also because she had to admit she was a bit curious. Of course he had improved since then, and somehow she would like to see that herself. Or rather, feel it.

_This's gonna get difficult_, she sighed inwardly as she made her way down to the upper deck. She joined Luffy, Chopper and Usopp in a card game, but as the captain managed to mug them all three times in a row and she really didn't know how he did that, she decided to continue her occupation of the morning and train a bit. To the two girls (still laying in the sun) she said she was going to sleep a bit and wouldn't like to be disturbed, and then she disappeared into the girls' room.

She sat on her provisory bed and concentrated. First, she pulled the shadows together to a thick dark clot wavering in the middle of the room. This was easy, as dealing with already existing shadows just meant that she changed something.

Creating, on the contrary, was much more difficult.

She closed her eyes after having released the ball and let herself dissipate into the shadows. Her body dissolved without any problem, becoming a dark, transparent shape. When she did that while standing in the shadows, she was as good as invisible, like Luffy had said. She could also do that in the sun, but then her body would be seen as a shadowy figure. This wasn't so advantageous if she wanted to, well, disappear, but in the middle of a fight it could save her life. Weapons could just go through her in that state.

She wasn't sad about her abilities being of rather defensive character. If she wanted to fight, she had other methods. And her powers had saved her until that day from being printed on a wanted poster. She had a bounty, but nobody recognised her as on that poster was merely a strand of red hair in complete darkness. And that was of advantage because she wasn't bothered by the damn Marines – like that little encounter with Smoker had proved.

Not that she was afraid of it, no. She just sought rest from time to time.

Just as she was at a really difficult new trick of hers, with sweat trickling down her spine, someone knocked at the door. She threw herself on the bed in a hurry, heaped her hair in a knot upon her face and peered out between her red strands as if she was awaking in this very minute.

"Yami-san, dinner is ready!" she heard Sanji whistle from outside.

Apparently he didn't know whether to come in or stay out, so she called back in a voice which she thought was sleepy, "Thank you, coming!"

When she was sure he was away, not without once more praising her charm, she hurried to get to the bathroom to wash her face sticky with sweat from her former training efforts. But on her way, she burst upon Ace who was, for his part, on his way from the bathroom to the dining room. Why of all people on this ship did she always meet _him_, and every time somewhere around the bathroom?

He cast an uninterpretable glance at her but kept silent, and for a brief moment she wondered about it – until the incident in the crow's nest occurred to her. She scratched her head before walking on, and in the bathroom she saw her face in the mirror – she looked horrible, with her hair as an unbelievable mess and her face's colour closely resembling that of a tomato.

She chuckled. No surprise he had looked at her with this odd expression. She made up her hair in a bun after having washed her face, then made sure she didn't look so creepy anymore by renewing her lipstick. A new laugh rose inside her as she imagined what Ace might have thought she had been doing to end up looking like that. She didn't doubt him having naughty fantasies about that … or perhaps he just thought she had blown off her steam in a training exercise. Which she had done, just not in the way he perhaps expected her to. And she hadn't blown off steam, she had only fought against her boredom. Because_ he_ didn't want to help her with that.

Dinner was in full play as she entered the dining room, meaning Sanji defending her plate (_just why doesn't he keep it in the kitchen? It would be much easier for him …_) as well as Nami's and Vivi's against Luffy and the others defending their own. Zoro looked up and scowled at her (but he always scowled), and as she sat down, she was well aware of Ace's occasional glances, but it amused her rather than making her angry. Could he really not deal with her advances? Or did he just fake his resentment?

However, it didn't bother her. Sooner or later she surely would succeed, and he would regret having waited so long … She smirked as she looked at him, and he quickly looked away.

* * *

**Author's note:** Well, that was a little display of her abilities, and I hope they don't seem like Blackbeard's anymore. Next chapter will bring much more of that … Because she can be useful, too ;-)

Zoro acts like a real first mate, don't you think? I'm so proud of him.


	7. Kings of the Sea

******Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Kings of the Sea**

After a nice dinner and some card games in the evening, the whole crew had gone to bed, including the two outsiders. And everybody slept now, being dead to the world. Everybody except Ace.

The young man was wide awake, lying in his hammock and listening to the deep breaths and snores of his brother and his comrades.

This thing really wouldn't go out of his mind, no matter how much he tried to think of something else. Stupid girl. Stupid sex maniac girl. Why did she torture him of all people? Couldn't she just go away and unnerve someone else with that strange behaviour of hers?

He sighed quietly as he turned to the other side, the hammock swinging slightly under his movements. He had pictured to see her again very often in the past three years. Very, very often, he had to admit with utmost shame, for she surely meant nothing to him. She was just one of, let's say, one hundred? Okay, about fifty, to be realistic. Or more? He didn't know, he hadn't counted them. There had been a lot, let's put it like that.

But he had never expected it to be like this. Every time he had imagined their reunion, he had thought of her being impressed by his new masculine physique, he wasn't a seventeen-year-old boy anymore, and melting away right at his sight. Or something like that.

He had never expected her to follow him without even being invited, to follow him and annoy the hell out of him with her bloody stupid damn provoking smirk, and after a few days of ignoring him completely (except for sending him that silly smirk from time to time) trying to seduce him – again.

In his phantasies _he_ had been the one seducing _her_. And there he was, acting like the dumb fool he was, rejecting her … No, she was the fool. A foolish girl flinging herself at him like a wh– no, that went too far. He wouldn't lower himself by calling her that, for she wasn't, even if he was angry at her. Which he was.

He clenched his teeth. He could just allow her to seduce him, after all, there was nothing wrong with it … but somehow, it injured his male pride. _He_ would be the one making _her_ tremble, and not with laughter this time. Setting her body aflame with just a soft touch of his hand …

He groaned about his own stupid thoughts. Of course he would do nothing of the sort, he would just try to ignore her as well as he could. And that damn smirk of hers.

Somehow he really managed to get to sleep that night.

* * *

The next day dawned without any troubles. Breakfast passed, and everyone went his or her own way. This time, Ace fished with the younger boys and the duck, and Yami … well, he didn't know where she was. He wasn't her watchdog after all. Furthermore, he was quite happy with her not bothering him for once. She hadn't started any renewed attempt to allure him, and after realising this, he had begun to relax.

"I'll get the biggest fish!" Usopp boasted as he messed with Luffy about who would have the most success.

"Kweeeh!" Carue protested and furrowed his imaginary brows at Usopp.

"No, I'll get it! Shishishi!"

"No way! Usopp the Great will have the greatest fishes!"

"But I'm the captain! I'll get the biggest fish!"

"You think the fishes know that you're the captain and bite at your rod?" Chopper asked with wide eyes.

"Of course! Shishishi!"

"Kweeeh!"

"Did I just tell you the greatest of my adventures, when I was fishing and the biggest fish of all came to me and offered me three wishes?"

"Oh, really?" Chopper said in admiration for the long-nosed boy's tales, his eyes sparkling. And so were Luffy's.

"Yes, it was the biggest fish ever seen in the ocean …"

And that was the moment one of the real biggest fishes in the ocean decided to appear. All of a sudden, it seemed like they got into the middle of a storm, the waters that had been so calm just now swirling and spinning like mad, rocking the small ship back and forth, from one side to the other.

"Nami! A storm is coming!" Usopp called to their navigator, and the four fishermen (and the fisherduck) jumped back on deck.

"A storm?" Nami narrowed her eyes as she stared incredulously at the swirling sea beneath them, then at the sun still shining brightly at the sky. "No, that's not a storm, but what –"

"OH MY GOD!" they heard Vivi scream, and as everybody turned around to her, she stared at the sea with such a horrified expression that everyone expected the worst to come.

And really, it was the worst.

As their shocked glances followed the princess' outstretched finger, they saw a hill appearing right in the water next to the ship, raising higher every second, with water flowing down it in torrents. The Going Merry tossed and turned in the sudden streaming, and the crew had to get a hold of something so as not to get thrown over the railing.

"The ship will topple over!" Usopp screamed in fear. But there was nothing anyone of them could do as the water hill still grew higher and higher, and the wake it created at its roots threatened to swallow the ship up.

It grew and grew, and just as it was about thirty times bigger than the ship itself – including the mast –, they could guess the structure underneath the still down flowing deluge of water. It was black, and it was big. And it had _jaws_.

Everybody stared in terror at the huge creature in front of them (well, everyone except Luffy). It had black and white stripes like a zebra, just much bigger. Flippers were all around the giant body which had the form of an enormous globe, seeming way too small for it.

"A giant zebra globe?" Luffy asked with sparks all around his form. "That's so cooooool!"

"Shut up!" Nami yelled at him, but her voice sounded small and shivering. "That's a _Neptunian_, you idiot! And if not any of you will do something right now, it will _eat us!_"

"Kweeeeeeeeh!" Carue commented, wide-eyed from fear.

The creature's blubber lips were indeed right in front of the ship. From this perspective, it looked as if the thing only consisted of lips.

"What's a Neptunian doing in the middle of the Grand Line?" Zoro asked, and after he had overcome his shock, he even managed to sound indifferent.

"GO ASK IT, BAKA!"

"I've got a better idea," Sanji said, strangely calm, and took a pull on his cigarette. "We could beat it unconscious and cut it in slices, it will provide food supplies for a whole month …"

The giant fish didn't even seem to notice them while they guessed how it would taste when fried and spiced with vinegar or white wine.

"We can still get away, it hasn't seen us yet …" Usopp suggested, his whole small frame shaking violently.

Carue agreed. "Kweeh!"

"Bullshit. Let's get started," Zoro said with a devilish smirk on his face, making him look like the demon most people saw in him.

"Umm, I wouldn't do that if I were you …" Yami interrupted them from behind. She had quite an idea of what not to do if a Sea King appeared in front of you, and this was definitely fighting. Fighting was useless, no matter how good you were.

"Why not? I hadn't had a fight for days …" Zoro disagreed and sent her an evil glare. "Are you scared, missy?"

"Yah, I am indeed, and – STOP THAT YOU BAKA!"

But too late. Zoro had already jumped into the air, swords unsheathed and one in each hand, plus the one in his mouth. "Don't mess with the Straw Hat Pirates!" they heard him growl as he started his Oni Giri attack, meant to cut the giant fish into pieces. The others watched as the cross-cut was performed, and normally, it would have sent the enemy flying across the whole sea.

But not when the enemy was a Neptunian.

The fish stayed where it was, they could see the diagonal cuts where Zoro's swords had sliced through, but there was not even blood.

"Damn fish!" the swordsman yelled and started another attack, and another, and another … it seemed like he disappeared in a whirlwind of blades and swift movements.

But the fish didn't even move.

"Stupid marimo, I'll show you how it works," Sanji muttered, and before anyone of them could intervene, he was up in the air too, aiming at the fish with a kick that could stab a normal being. It looked very dangerous. "Poitrine Shoot!"

Except the fish now looking at the comparatively small ship, they achieved nothing.

"Oh no!" Yami whispered to herself, and Nami, Vivi, Carue, Chopper and Usopp looked equally frightened.

"GOMU GOMU NOOO …"

"NO, LUFFY!"

"… ROCKET!" The boy propelled himself up, straight towards the Sea King now glaring threateningly at them. He crashed into the animal with such force that he even managed to kick a dent in the Neptunian's skin, but then he was launched back to the ship as the damage was not of long continuance.

"Fuck!" Yami cursed as she threw herself on the fire user ready to start fighting with the others.

"FIRE F–"

"Leave it cowboy! Freakin' leave it! You're only makin' it angry, don't ya see?" she yelled at him and grabbed his wrists.

He stared at her bewildered. "What the –"

Then the fish started to open its giant mouth, ready to swallow the ship up with all its inhabitants. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" the two girls (plus Usopp and Chopper) screamed in horror.

"KWEEEEEEEEEHHHHHH!" Carue chimed in.

"So whatcha wanna do now?" Ace shouted angrily and tried to push her away, but she didn't let go of his wrists. She turned her head and looked at the Sea King, determination in her eyes. She had to try out one of her distraction attacks …

Ace saw the expression on her face but couldn't figure out what she was about to do. "Do something or let me go, dammit!"

She didn't even look at him. Instead, she closed her eyes and concentrated as well as she could with the stinking open mouth of a giant fish right in front of her face. She had never really succeeded in this exercise when she was training, at least she only managed to carry it out just a bit, and what she wanted to do now was about one hundred times more difficult. She didn't even know if it would work, but it was their last chance.

The fact that the sun shone brightly usually didn't help her when fighting, but now, it was exactly what she needed for her purposes.

* * *

Ace looked at her with a frown as her hands tightened around his wrists. She had her eyes closed and looked as if she was deeply focused on something, something he could not see. Her dark red lips were pressed together. Then, slowly, dark patterns appeared on her cute face distorted by the effort, dark patterns that seemed like tattoos of some sort. They were all over her temples and cheeks, getting darker every second, and … _are they pulsating?_

The fish's gaping jaws now started to soak in the water surrounding them, and the little ship tossed around violently, threatening to be sucked in. _Whatever you do, hurry the fuck up …_ he thought worriedly but didn't dare vocalising it, for fear that he would disturb her in her concentration.

Then, all of a sudden, the sun darkened as if a cloud had shifted in front of it. The problem was, there weren't any clouds in the light blue sky that could move and block out the sunlight.

It was a large, shapeless thing, wavering as if indecisive about which form to take in. It was translucent but dark, and it became darker with every second that passed. In one moment it was only a small shade fogging in the sun, but in the next it blocked any light and threw a large dark shadow over the little ship.

"Oh no, it's his friend!" Nami screamed, obviously terrified. Indeed, this looked just like another Sea King's shade, threateningly towering over the ship – and the zebra fish.

_Dammit, we're sunk!_ Ace cursed inwardly with wide eyes, before remembering that Sea Kings usually weren't translucent. But then he looked surprised as the strangely tattooed girl next to him dug her fingernails deep into his arms. Her eyes were still closed, her whole body seemed tensed up and she shivered with some unknown strain upon her. Her face was reddened and glistened with sweat, trickling down her temples in little streamlets and dampening her bangs.

He looked up again, gaping at the shadow over them now so thick and dark that no sunray was let through to touch the ship or the sea around them, causing the rest of the crew still on the ship to scream in horror and the three fighters to look confused and return down to the ship, glaring at the new threat.

He looked back at her with wide eyes. _Oh, I'd have never expected that … You're … you're …_

The ship was now almost inside the huge fish's mouth. But the Sea King's eyes weren't fixed on the ship anymore – they looked up at the black shape.

And then, the Neptunian closed its mouth – and disappeared in the largest fountain anyone of them had ever seen.

The crew screamed as their ship was once more thrown to all possible sides by the enraged waves, left at their mercy as the Sea King descended even faster than he had shown up, leaving large whirls and currents behind. And just as the fish was nowhere to be seen, the shadow disappeared within one split second. And so did the tattoos on Yami's face.

Ace was quite busy with trying to unfasten Yami's hands of his wrists so that he could get hold of something on the ship or they both would just fall into the raging waters when she let go by herself. He was so surprised that he didn't notice her slowly falling overboard as she couldn't stand on her feet anymore. He saw her startled expression when she realised she couldn't reach anything on the ship to hold on to, and his vision suddenly seemed to become clearer and clearer, focused on her face and her face alone while the ship still tossed around like mad.

In one fast movement – in fact, the fastest he had ever made –, he reached out for her arm and managed to snatch it before she was really out of reach. He held on tight, knowing that if he let go, she was lost in the raging sea. But he wouldn't let go, never. With one hand he clutched her wrist, and with the other he held on to the ship's railing desperately. He couldn't look around to make sure everybody else was okay, he just hoped for them to be as he narrowed his eyes on the girl dangling from his outstretched arm, the waves licking at her body like lecherous tongues, and he was almost angry at them, how did they dare touching her? He wouldn't leave her to their mercy, _forget it, crap sea!_

She looked deeply terrified but didn't move by herself (_And how could she, with seawater all over her?_), she only looked at him out of scared azure eyes, and by seeing that shocked expression in her face, a strange feeling crept up on him.

It was as if the world around them froze and just stopped moving.

As he was unable to speak, he tried to assure her with his eyes that everything would be okay, that he wouldn't let go, that he wouldn't let her drown. He stared at her as firm as he could, his eyes never leaving hers.

And she seemed to understand.

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity, the waves calmed down, little by little, and after a while, the Going Merry stopped rocking so hard. As soon as he could let go of the railing without falling overboard, Ace used his free hand as well to drag the girl up and over the railing. He heard her panting hard as she fell to the floor heavily, and so did he. A quick look around told him that everybody was still there, Luffy had managed to wrap most of the crew members up around the mast, and the rest had been able to get a grip on hand rails or something alike.

Yami sat on the wooden floor, one hand clinging to the railing's bars and the other still held by Ace. As soon as he realised that, he let go of her and quickly assured himself of her well-being. Except that she was pale and trembling all over, her eyes squeezed shut but her mouth gaping slightly, desperately gasping for air, she looked okay. She almost drowned after all, it would be strange if she was not pale.

Ace took a breath and wondered why he could feel it tremble. His chest felt so strange, so tight that he could barely breathe. He cleared his throat and turned away from the girl, looking at the crew who came crawling on deck and unwrapped themselves of rubber arms and legs.

"Ace! Yami! You okay?" he heard Luffy call worriedly and nodded, then noticed that his brother couldn't see him.

"Yeah, we're okay!" he shouted back, annoyed about his voice sounding so weak.

"Thanks …" he heard a quiet voice from below and turned back to Yami still sitting on the floor. She looked up at him, her expression was exhausted but thankful nonetheless. Her azure eyes were sincere for once.

This was the first time he saw her without her trademark smirk or even a smile on her lips.

"I'm gonna go … have some sleep …" she then muttered and managed to stand up by latching on to the railing.

He narrowed his eyes at her. Why did she just …? This girl was a damn mystery …

But then, something occurred to him, something really important. "Hey, wait!" he said firmly. She stood on shaking legs after a fashion, looking like she would fall down every moment. She reminded him of a young foal, or a fawn.

"What?" she asked wearily and had her gaze already focused on the door which would lead her to the storage room and further on to the girls' room.

"This cloud thing, that was you, right?"

She froze in her movements for a second. Ace noticed it with satisfaction. "Am I right?" he requested, a bit louder this time.

"I dunno whatcha talkin' 'bout," she mumbled and tried to walk away. Ace held her back by grabbing her arm, an action he immediately regretted for she lost her balance immediately and almost fell down again.

_What the …?_

He hurried to catch her, which earned him an annoyed glance. "Will you stop that, cowboy?"

"First admit that it was you," he insisted but let her go anyways.

"It wasn't me."

Ace rolled his eyes at her stubbornness. "Just tell me …" But she was already off, having reached the storage room before he could end his sentence.

He hurried after her. "Hey, I'm talking to you, stupid girl!"

"Ace, as you're not injured or something, could you help us with setting sails and cleaning the ship?" he heard Nami call after him.

"Just a sec, I've gotta clear up something …" he called back and walked into the storage room, ignoring the navigator's complaints about men chickening out of everything that had to do with rags and sponges.

She was already in the girls' room, and the door flew shut right before his eyes. He sighed and knocked, rather out of impatience than politeness.

"No!" he heard her shout but entered regardless of her resistance. She kneeled on the floor, in the middle of the room, and it looked like she had just dropped there. As she heard the door open, she turned around and cast an angry glance at him.

_Whoa there!_ he thought, surprised. He hadn't even known she could make such an angry face.

"I told you to stay out!" she yelled.

"And I asked you something," he replied calmly.

She clenched her fists and stared at the ground. "It wasn't me!"

Ace sighed. "People always speaking their mind openly are bad liars," he stated. "So it was you."

"If you already know that, why are you even asking?" she answered with a counterquestion, but without looking at him.

"I want to hear it from you."

"Dream on."

"You're the epitome of stubbornness."

"So are you."

They kept silent for a moment, before Ace went on. "How did you do that?"

She looked at him sneeringly. "I was born with that, you know."

"You're a Devil Fruit user."

She exhaled an angry breath. "Would you believe me if I say I'm not?"

"No." Ace smirked. "I would take a bucket full of seawater and tip it out over your head to see what happens."

She smiled unwantedly. "Do as you please."

He let his gaze wander over her slumped figure. She was wet all over, her clothes soaking with water, dripping on the floor and leaving dark stains on the wood. Her hair hung in front of her face like a red wall. She just looked so fragile right now. He hadn't known she could look that way, she usually seemed so strong and bold.

"Just admit it, stupid girl. I'll find it out anyway." His hand twitched at his side, as if it wanted to reach out and help her up. Or just touch her. He made a fist out of it, just in case. Why did she even have to look so heart-rendingly weak?

"If you find it out anyway, why should I admit whatever it is you want me to admit, cowboy?" she asked back and stood up to turn to him, her face pale from exhaustion but lovely all the way, even if she frowned just like now. He noticed her high-slit skirt clinging to her legs like a second skin, leaving scarcely anything to the imagination. He had to force himself to tear his eyes away from that pleasing view.

She saw it anyways, and that annoying smirk returned to her face. "You can have that, if you like," she said in an inviting tone, making a gesture towards her body.

He rolled his eyes and let out an annoyed sigh, but now she saw her chance to get him out of her room. "Really, I'm going to undress now," she went on. "If you don't have obvious intentions, you should leave this room right now."

He sighed again. "You don't dare. Whatever, leave that stupid behaviour of yours, I know it's only for show …"

"Show?" She narrowed her eyes. "I could give you a show, cowboy. Don't tempt me." Almost threateningly, she took her hands up to the brim of her skirt.

"Whatever!" he repeated, upset now. "I don't want to sleep with you, so stop that and give me an answer."

"To what question?" she asked with innocent wide eyes.

"You know very well to what question!" he growled.

"No I don't, and if you don't either undress now too or leave the room, you'll see what I meant with _show_."

"Stop that already!" He knew very well she only wanted to distract him, she didn't look fit to do the things she suggested to him. In fact, she looked rather exhausted. She looked wasted. But he nevertheless thought her capable of carrying out her promise. Threat. Whatever.

He shook his head in disbelief, determined to return to his former intention of getting the truth out of her. "Really, I don't understand why you want to keep your abilities a secret. We all saw it. You saved the whole ship with it. Why is it such a big deal to you to show it? Or admit it?" For he knew it anyways, he knew since he had realised the wavering dark shape above them, the shape _she_ had summoned, no matter what she tried to convince him of.

She closed her eyes, turned and walked to her provisory bed. She sat down, ignoring her wet clothes. Then she looked up at him with a tired expression on her face. "You want to know why I want to keep it a secret?" she asked and sighed. "Well, you saw Smoker, right? Even to him – and he's one of the most competent Marine idiots I know – even to him, I was just your 'red-haired companion'. Remember?"

He nodded quietly.

"And that's why."

He looked at her as she lay down on the bed, curling up to a tight ball. "I just want to be left alone."

Ace kept silent. He could understand her, really, but he had seen it anyways, and he knew. He knew her name, the name the Marines had given her on her wanted poster, like his was 'Fire Fist' Ace. And he knew her wanted poster, the dark cloud on it surrounding just a single strand of dark red hair. _Her_ hair. He should have known it. "Okay," he said as he decided to leave the room. He knew all her answers, and she really had to sleep now for she looked damn bad. "But you should change your clothes or you'll catch a cold."

She kept silent. Just as he was about to go through the door and wanted to shut it behind him, he heard her say something.

"Thank you." Very quietly.

He knew that she didn't mean his advice about illness with that, and smiled involuntarily, feeling a sudden strange rush of affection for her. "Sleep well and recover, _Lady of the Shadows_."

* * *

**Author's note:** Yah, that's her name. Doesn't it sound cool? She's a lady …

**Sanji:** Of course she's a lady, she's the most beautiful lady I've ever seen, please stay and let her undress …

**ASG:** Shut up stupid ero-cook. And you're the most _freakish pervert_ I've ever seen. Where was I ...? Right, she's a lady with a very cool name, and I love her even more with every chapter I write …

**Sanji:** I also love her, she's the most beautif–

**ASG:** YOU ALREADY SAID THAT. And let me finish my sentence. So, I love her, and I love Ace (did I already mention that?), and this chapter hopefully showed that she can be useful when it comes to mega fishies.

**Sanji:** You love Ace? Oh no, he's just some random snobbish idiot, take me and not him …

**ASG:** *sigh* I'm out.

**Sanji:** Nooo please staaay, I'm your slave, I'm your … *gets punched*

**Nami:** Shut up already.


	8. Debts

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Debts**

She didn't know how to feel.

Should she be glad?

Should she be angry?

Should she be sad?

She really didn't know. On the one hand, it was kind of relieving that he knew it now, her secret, her best-herded secret. But on the other hand … she didn't know. Of course she didn't expect him running to the Marines now and telling them … but she felt really uneasy about it. She had never told – or shown – her abilities to someone except when fighting against him or her, and even the Marines knew so little about her that they had to put _her hair_ on her bounty poster.

_God, I never told my _name_ to anyone …!_ she thought as she turned around in her bed now soaking wet because of her clothes. She couldn't care less. Her mind was too busy picturing what could happen now, she imagined the worst scenarios … the Marines chasing after her, her _real _name on her wanted poster, together with her _real _face … that would be horrible. Worst case. She wouldn't have even a bit of peace anymore.

Then she scoffed. "Right, as if he'd go to the Marines now," she said aloud, embarrassed by her own thoughts. "It's not as if they'd welcome him with open arms, he's a pirate, too, after all …"

But she knew from experience that it wasn't as if all fellow pirates were nice. Some of them were rather evil, if not completely. And she didn't know him that much, she had to tell herself, even if she felt like knowing him for half an eternity. She just felt like he was one of the goodies.

_With that brother, he just has to be_, she thought and smiled before finally drifting off to sleep.

* * *

"She's still hot …"

"That's strange, perhaps it's because of all the water …"

"No, it's because she was exhausted and slept with wet clothes," she heard someone say calmly. And she knew very well who that was.

Blinking a bit, she finally opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, she saw someone bending over her with a worried expression. From the antlers she could tell it was Chopper.

"Huh?" she exclaimed as she sat up and almost jumped out of the bed. Chopper shrieked and flinched back at her sudden movement.

"She's awake!"

"Yami-saaan …"

"Kweeeeeh!" Almost everyone was in the room she barely recognised as the infirmary, everyone except Zoro and Luffy. And everyone in here looked worried, even Carue.

"Huh?" she repeated as she looked at them in confusion, then rubbed her tired eyes. "What's up?"

"You have a bad fever!" Chopper explained after having regained his composure, being completely back in 'doctor mode'. "You slept the whole day and the whole night …"

"I … what?" She could feel her head ache, and she felt a bit warm, but that was nothing … wasn't it? She saw Usopp nod in agreement with the little reindeer. He looked rather grave, something she hadn't seen with him in the few days she had been on this ship. Just then did she notice the bed she was lying in, it was not the provisory one but a real, wooden bed.

"I told you to change clothes before going to sleep," Ace said from behind. He leaned at the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest and his eyes concealed by his ridiculous hat. Yet she saw him smirking.

She pouted at him. "I'm not sick, I never was …"

"Yes you are," Chopper said determined. "I'm the doctor, and I say it. Must have been because of you overworking with scaring the Neptunian away …"

She gasped and stared at him wide-eyed. _Oh yeah, I almost forgot that …_ Then she stared at Ace. "What did you tell them?" she frowned.

"Oh, nothing. They found out by themselves. They're not as dumb as you might think," he said in a mocking tone.

She didn't like that tone. "I never said that, baka cowboy!" she growled.

"Ace, don't upset her. She has to recover," Chopper said quietly.

Ace huffed and went outside. Nami looked after him, then turned back to Yami. "He was here the whole time, you know?" she informed her with a meaningful smirk. Vivi, standing next to her, smiled.

"Oh," Yami said. She wouldn't have expected that. Perhaps it was out of gratefulness … or he had just been sorry for having bothered her earlier, and now thought that it was because of this she had gone ill. She smiled. Perhaps she should leave him like this?

She put the blanket aside and wanted to stand up, but Chopper got in her way (in his strong form) and held her wrists. "Lie down. You're not fully recovered."

With a sigh, she did as he ordered. "By the way, who changed my clothes?" she asked at no one in particular, for she had indeed noticed she no longer wore her green dancer's outfit with which she had fallen asleep earlier but comfortable pajamas.

"We did that," Vivi smiled at her, pointing at Nami. "Your dress was completely wet. We couldn't leave you like that."

"Arigatou," she muttered. She hadn't any problem with people undressing her, but while she slept …? Even if they were girls, she was slightly uneasy with that.

"Anyway," her train of thoughts was cut off by Nami now looking serious. "We owe you thanks for defeating the Sea King. That was … really enormous."

Yami felt herself blush at the navigator's words. She felt very uneasy now, rather embarrassed. "Really, that's not necessary, you owe me nothing …"

"Yes we do," a voice came from behind, and everybody turned in surprise to see Luffy standing in the doorframe, looking so serious she hadn't thought him capable to. His eyes were concealed by his straw hat, but other than his older brother before, he didn't smirk underneath it. "You saved us all. We weren't able to defeat the monster fish, and that's a shame. We didn't listen to you. It endangered us all. And you saved our lives by endangering yours. We're deeply indebted to you."

Yami's eyes widened during the usually so carefree captain's little speech. What was wrong with that family that both brothers managed to take her by surprise, a thing that hardly ever occurred?

She saw the other crew members plus Vivi nod at his words and wished to sneak away and straight into the next mousehole.

"That was nothing, really," she tried to assure them while restraining herself from covering her blushing face with her hands. "See it as my way to say thanks for your hospitality. I'm glad I could add to something." She paused for a moment, thinking. "Besides, if I hadn't done that, I would have been eaten too. You owe me nothing."

"You can deny it as long as you wish. You saved our lives. Please accept our thanks and feel free to stay with us as long as you want," Nami said firmly and looked at her with a hearty smile. Luffy just stared at her with an undefinable glance.

"That's very nice, than–"

"Don't you even dare!" Nami interrupted her. "Sanji, your turn."

"Alright Nami-swan, whatever you wish …" Sanji fluted and hurried off. As he returned, he brought several plates of food with him. "I prepared something for you, dearest Yami-san. Please eat as much as you like, you need it to get your strength back."

Yami's eyes widened at the sight of all the delicacies Sanji had conjured. She felt her mouth watering – really, she was hungry.

"Help yourself," Nami smiled and told everybody to leave the room to give her some privacy. She dug into the delicious food and praised the blonde cook in her thoughts. This was just too good to be true …

After a while, she looked up and saw Luffy sitting on the floor, leaning at a wall with crossed arms and his eyes still concealed by his straw hat. He said nothing, but his face was lowered as if he watched the floor.

This confused her because of three reasons. First, the straw hat-wearing boy was _never_ quiet. Second, he just couldn't sit still. And third: reason one plus two combined with the fact that she held an enormous plate of food in her lap.

"Umm … Luffy?" she asked cautiously. He didn't answer nor did he show signs that he heard her in any other way. She kept silent for another few minutes, waiting if he would do anything, but nothing. The voices of his crewmates and the occasional cries of the seagulls outside were the only noises to break the silence.

"Luffy, what's up?" she asked again. She didn't know if he would actually tell her, but if he didn't want to talk then why did he sit here now?

"I couldn't protect them."

She looked up in surprise. His position was still the same, he hadn't moved but was sitting completely still.

"Luffy, that was a _Sea King_. They're not supposed to be defeated. It's no shame that you couldn't." _You're only seventeen_, she wanted to add but left it. She didn't think it would make it any better.

"You could." And with that he looked her straight in the eyes, the expression in his dark ones scaring her. He looked not only deeply serious but almost depressed, a thing she had never expected with the ever so careless and optimistic boy.

She gave a short laugh. "No, I didn't. I only shooed it away."

"That's not the matter!" he exclaimed and jumped to his feet. She flinched back at his sudden movement, and the food platter almost fell off the bed. She saw him clenching his fists and got a slight impression of how scary this rather joyful boy must affect his enemies if he wanted.

"So then what's the matter?" she asked as calm and soothing as she could.

He clenched his fists even tighter. "I could do nothing to protect my nakama!"

She kept silent for a moment, before pointing out, "Didn't I see you wrap them around the mast? Must have been terrible with all the seawater splashing over you."

"That's different!" He almost yelled now. And really, it was scary.

"There are things on earth you can't protect your friends from. You have to accept that."

Surprised, she lifted her gaze at the door from where that new voice came. Luffy stared at his brother standing in the doorframe in disbelief before just walking out, his face expressionless and his fists clenched so tight that she could see his knuckles get white.

When he was out of the room (he almost barged into Ace while leaving), the young man sighed. "I thought he wouldn't just leave it at that."

"It wasn't his fault." She watched him smiling slightly as he came closer to her bed.

"I know. But he doesn't want to see it that way. And he's very stubborn." Ace took a chicken drumstick from her plate and nibbled at it.

"Yah, suppose so …" she said, frowning at him. "Hey, it wasn't you who missed the last … uh … three meals!"

He just chuckled, then went serious. "I didn't know the Lady of the Shadows could do such things," he remarked completely out of the blue. "How could she wipe out a complete Marine station with this?"

She curled up her mouth but evaded his question, feeling a sharp pain stabbing at her heart at his words. Those were things long forgotten, and she hated to be reminded of them. "So what did you think she could do?" she asked instead.

"I dunno. Take one's shadow away?"

"No, that's not how it works. But I heard from someone who could do that ..." She pondered about this for one moment but couldn't remember the name. "Never mind. And usually she can't do _such things_, as you call it. I was surprised as well …"

Ace narrowed his eyes. "So what can she do, usually?"

"She can confuse you," Yami smirked.

"Ah?" He cocked his brows. "And how does she do that?"

Yami shrugged. "Usually like this." And with these words she took a hold on his shadow, which was easy because the sun shone brightly that day, and whirled it around him like the sails of a windmill, only much, much faster, sometimes changing the direction or just the length of the shadow.

Ace looked at it, stunned, before smirking back at her, seeing her tattoos again. They weren't as strong as the day before, though. "That's quite a show. Very dizzying."

"Like I said." She tucked a strand of hair back behind her ear and stopped it. "Can save your life in a fight."

Ace nodded in appreciation. "Strange tattoos, though."

She shrugged. "Weird side effect. I can't do anything against it."

"I didn't say it's ugly." His smirk grew wider. "But by the way, we're reaching the coast of Alabasta next morning. You should sleep a bit so that you're well when we arrive."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "Say, are you worrying about me, cowboy?"

He rolled his eyes. "Of course not. But Luffy and the others need to reach Yuba as fast as possible. The last thing they need to deal with is an ill weak person hindering them."

"Oh, don't worry about me, I'm fine," she smiled, but just then did a sneeze break its way through her nose.

"Yeah, I see," he mumbled and she saw him smirk again.

"That was nothing. I'll just lie down on a beach chair outside …" She wasn't weak.

"No you won't. Sunbathing in a bikini is exactly what you don't need now," he stated dryly.

"Who said I'd dress in a bikini?" she asked and shook her head. "But really, you're actually the first man ever who tells me _not_ to do that." She giggled as he frowned at her.

He huffed. "Do as you like. But we won't wait for you in the desert." He turned and left the room, still frowning.

"Yah, that's exactly how I rated you!" she called after him, pushed the blanket aside and hung her legs out of the bed. Her whole body was sweaty and she noticed her hair clinging to the sides of her face … she must look horrible. And now everybody had seen her like this. She had to take a bath, dry her hair and then go out to lay in the sun with the other two girls, just relaxing for once. Tomorrow there would be enough trouble with that desert thing. But she would go with them despite the effort and the fever and everything. It wouldn't be that much of a problem.

She took her blanket with her as well as some clothes and her cloak, wrapping it around her body as she could feel the air very cold on her sweaty skin despite the warm pajamas and the desert atmosphere. On her way to the bathroom she met Sanji who came to take her plate and ask if she needed any more. He was just about to change into his 'love' mode as he noticed her get-up and worriedly inquired after her health. She told him everything was okay, but he insisted on accompanying her to the bathroom door, and if she hadn't stopped him there, he probably would have gone into the room with her. With soft power, she managed to stop him outside, not without having to promise that she would call if she needed anything. No doubt he would break the door if he suspected her to have fainted or something like that. She left an inward note to answer him in any case.

As she turned the water on and undressed, she felt the chilly air again, creeping upon her, and she hurried to climb into the bathtub to sit under the hot stream. It felt incredibly good, and her sorrows and worries slowly faded away as the tub was filled with steamy hot and soap-scented water. She didn't want to come out there ever again.

Sighing, she leaned back and relaxed. Slowly, she closed her eyes …

"YAMI-SWAN!"

"She's okay, you'll see."

"Huh?" she asked and sat up in her bed … no, it was the bathtub.

_Have I been sleeping in here?_ she thought somewhat alarmed. _What was that with Sanji?_

"YAMI-SWAN, I'LL BREAK THE DOOR NOW, I'LL SAVE YOU …"

"NO!" she cried back as loud as she could. "Everything's okay, Sanji-kun, please stay out, I've just been sleeping!"

Silence.

Then: "I told ya." Ace's voice. She heard a chuckle and steps that moved off.

"Yami-swan, are you sure?"

"Yah Sanji, I'm okay so leave me alone!" She couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed by the young man's overprotective behaviour.

"Right now! I'll make you some pancakes …"

Now she chuckled in amusement. He was just incorrigible.

With the water now almost cold, she shivered and stepped out of it. After drying herself with a towel, she took the hairdryer and let it do its work before putting on her clothes (not one of the dancer's outfits) and also her lipstick. Just to be safe, she put her cloak on too and then went out.

Sanji was nowhere to be seen, so he really made her pancakes. Yawning, she stepped down the stairs that led to the lower deck and was greeted by the Straw Hats scattered all around the deck. That means, the Straw Hats minus Sanji (who was in the kitchen) and Zoro (who seemed to be sleeping). And Luffy.

The sun was shining brightly and it was really warm, almost hot, an indicator that they were not far from the desert. A sunbath was the right thing to do now, and the two other girls already knew that since they lay there in their bikinis, exposing their gorgeous figures to the sun.

Sitting in a beach chair next to them, she noticed Luffy on the ship's lamb head. She had seen him there several times already, but today it seemed different.

_Seems like he just can't come to terms with what happened. _

"He'll be fine." Ace, sitting on the other side of the deck, had noticed her glance and now she looked at him for a moment before leaning back and enjoying the sun and the moment …

"Nami-swaaan, Vivi-chwaaan, Yami-saaan …"

… only broken by Sanji bringing the pancakes and tropical drinks.


	9. Skull Without Crossbones

******Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Skull Without Crossbones**

After a short stop to bring Carue ashore since Vivi had a letter for him to take to her father, they sailed on. It was afternoon and almost dark now, and Yami lay on the grassy ground of the tiny mikan grove. The rest of the crew was still in the dining room or somewhere else on deck. Luffy, after sitting on the lamb head the whole day, had finally agreed to eat something and acted normal again, much to everyone's relief.

The wind blew through the leaves of Nami's mikan trees, making them rustle softly. It was a soothing noise. Not that she needed it, though. She was perfectly at ease with herself at the moment, she knew what she did, and even if she didn't know why, she accepted it. Her captain … or, ex-captain … had given her this strange mission, but she thought she'd better not finish it. Her captain was just another stupid pirate, he didn't know her. Nobody did. And that was the reason why she had jumped from one pirate crew to the other, since she had been thirteen years old – with the exception of one special crew, that is. Always restless, always searching for something more.

But she didn't doubt to find that "something" someday.

She sighed, folding her arms behind her head and looking up to the red evening sky. The sun was just about to go down, and here on deck she had a magnificent view on the changing colours it brought up.

She should have been surprised when someone sat down next to her, but she wasn't. He was the only one who hadn't been there when she had woken up.

Yami smiled. The green-haired swordsman just sat there and kept silent, but that was all she needed to understand.

It was his way of saying 'thank you'. She hadn't expected him to say it. It wasn't his style. He wasn't a man of many words, and thus they sat and lay there until it was dark, before he rose again and went away, without saying a word. But it was perfectly okay.

She looked at the sky. She had always liked the stars, they gave her hope. Seeing the stars, she always thought back at the moments she had sat on deck of another ship, at another time … when everything had still been okay. When her parents had still been alive. Sometimes, her mother had let her stay up until it was completely dark and sat on deck with her, watching the stars and telling her tales about them.

She had loved those tales. But now, they only made her sad.

* * *

_The next morning …_

"We're almost there, just one more hour, I think …" Nami stated, and the crew burst out in chaos.

Usopp, Chopper and Luffy danced around, sing-songing "We're going to Alabasta, we're going to Alabasta …", Ace rolled his eyes and went away to pack his few things, Vivi smiled at the boys' curious antics, Nami rushed into the girls' room to get something, Yami lay on the floor laughing, Sanji went to the kitchen to prepare food for their journey through the desert, and even Zoro showed a slight smirk.

When Nami returned, she gave Vivi some bundles and they started distributing them among the crew. She already wore her white cloak, covering almost every part of her skin, and Sanji, who immediately came down on the lower deck, had his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets. "Nami-swan, what's that you're wearing?" he cried hysterically, then turned around, only to see Vivi wearing the same cloak, dark blue this time. "And you, Vivi-chwan! You're dressed in the same thing …"

When he saw Yami putting on her black cloak too, he almost fainted. The girls raised their brows at him. "Sanji, there's over fifty degrees in the desert! You want us to get roasted by the sun?" Nami asked and shook her head in disapproval.

"Oh my God, that looks horrible! What have I done to deserve this?" Sanji exclaimed, dropped and started rolling on the floor in a circle. Yami put her hand on her mouth so as not to laugh out loud at the sight. She took her dark red scarf and draped it around her neck, over the cloak's hood, then tied up the piece of cloth and fixed it with a scarf pin. When she had finished, she looked down herself contentedly, even if she already began to feel the heat building up inside the cloak.

"You look like a giant bat with a scarf," Ace pointed out with a smirk as he went past her. She narrowed her eyes and scrutinised him exactly in turn. He also wore a black cloak, but the brims of his sleeves were decorated with red flames winding upwards. And, of course, he wore his orange hat. Not so bad.

He stopped and raised his brows at her as she cocked her head to the left. "Well, you look rather hot," she replied, showing a smirk similar to his, and he immediately turned away from her, scowling. She chuckled. _Gotcha … again!_ She loved the way she could make him speechless. She saw him walking away … and then, suddenly, his legs gave in and he fell to the floor with a loud thud – and a snore.

She stared at him wide-eyed before she started laughing so hard that she fell to the floor herself.

* * *

The crew watched the coast come nearer and nearer with mixed feelings. The three boys, on the one hand, were eager to go ashore and experience adventures, while the others, especially Vivi, seemed rather thoughtful.

When they had docked and moored the ship, Luffy immediately jumped off and ran in the direction of the town whose buildings they could already see. "We made it! Yuba!" he exclaimed happily, then looked around. "Huh? Wait a minute … there's nothing here!" He turned around to his crew. "Let's look for the leader! Where is he?"

Of course he meant the Rebel Army's leader, but as they looked at the town, it was barely imaginable that there was anybody in that town. It looked … dead. Yami eyed the ruins that were left of the city she herself had been in once when she had been a child. It was disturbing.

"No, Luffy-san, this isn't Yuba yet," Vivi corrected his mistake. "We still have to walk north-west through the desert for a while."

"A while? How much is a while?" Usopp asked, and Vivi showed them on the map. "We crossed the Sandora River and we just landed here at Erumalu, the 'Green Town'."

"Green Town?" Luffy asked incredulously. "But there's nothing green around here!"

And indeed, there was just desert everywhere, and it looked like the sand was about to devour the ruins of the ghost city that had once been looking the way that someone actually gave it the nickname 'Green Town'.

"No, not anymore …" Vivi said, and in that very moment, a strange animal broke right out of the water next to the ship. It looked rather cute, like a turtle crossed with a seal for it had a shell like a turtle and a tail fin like a seal, with its left arm held up high and such a cute look on its face that it was just adorable.

"KUO!" it exclaimed.

"Gaaaah!" Usopp screamed in surprise. He stood right next to the place where it had appeared.

"Whoa, what the hell is that, a turtle?" Zoro called out.

"A seal?" Usopp approached the cute being, and Yami had to slap a hand on her mouth in order to prevent squeaking in happiness. This animal just looked so damn cute …

"No, a Kung Fu Dugong!" Vivi screamed. "NO, USOPP-SAN, GET AWAY FROM IT!"

"Kung Fu?" Usopp asked confused.

"Kuo!" the animal confirmed, and in the next second the sharpshooter already lay on the ground, littered with lumps and bruises.

"Owww …" he moaned in pain.

Yami's eyes almost came out of their sockets. Was that really … had this cute being just … _finished him off?_

Vivi brought one hand up to her mouth. "They're strong …" she stated worriedly.

_Yup, I can definitely see that_, Yami thought dryly as she stared at the Dugong now standing with both fists in the air in a victorious pose.

"You lost …" Zoro muttered.

"Umm …" Nami cleared her throat, "we have a winner over here …" She pointed at Luffy who had just successfully defeated the Dugong in no time.

"Don't beat them, either!" Vivi screeched, but as the Dugong bowed at Luffy, she sighed.

"Huh?" he asked and scratched his head.

"It's Kung Fu Dugong law that the loser of a fight becomes the winner's student," she explained.

"_That's so cute!_" Yami squeaked into her palm, staring as more Dugongs suddenly appeared out of nowhere and crowded around Luffy who showed them some fighting stances. Ace chuckled as he first looked at her who didn't even notice for she absorbed the incredulous sight right in front of her, then at his brother in the middle of that Dugong sea.

"HOW DID YOU GET SO MANY?" Vivi yelled, unable to believe this.

_Five minutes later …_

"Now let's go to Yuba!" Luffy exclaimed after having waved goodbye at the Dugongs. They had to leave some of their supplies with them, in order to make them stay, and fortunately (and still a bit unbelievable to Yami) Chopper had talked to them to convince them to stay right there and not go with them, even if Luffy wanted that. But, as Nami said rightly, with a horde of Kung Fu Dugongs in tow it would be impossible to go unnoticed in towns.

"God, how cute …" Yami mumbled as she went backwards to watch them as they waved their goodbyes, with the food in their cute little mouths and tears streaming down their faces.

"Tch … girls," she heard Ace mutter next to her.

She waved until the cute little beings were out of sight, then turned to him with a happy smile. "Don't you think they're cute?" she requested, but he just rolled his eyes. "But they'll surely be a nice watch for the ship …"

Ace nodded. "Yeah, that could be right. They seem to like Luffy."

"Well, who does _not_ like Luffy?" she laughed. He just smiled.

In the meantime, Vivi explained why the 'Green Town' was now a ghost city, but it was nothing new. Severe drought, the nearby river not having enough water, and it was almost ironic that a city at a coast, right in front of masses of water, could run dry. The people couldn't use seawater, and it was as easy as that. She also told that Nanohana got its water from an oasis so it couldn't suffer the same fate.

Luffy bent down and picked something up, but nobody paid attention except Chopper.

"Even in Alabasta, no rainfall has never been something to worry about …" Vivi went on, "but there was always one place that got more rain than anywhere else. The capital, Alubarna, where I grew up." She sighed. "The people called it the 'King's Miracle' … at least, they did up until that day …"

She explained how a huge amount of Dance Powder had been seemingly accidentally found, with its deliverers emphasising the fact that they were to deliver it to King Cobra, Vivi's father.

_Dance Powder …_ Yami mused and recalled all she knew about the matter, while Nami illustrated it to the others. She already knew where that was leading to … Vivi had mentioned about Crocodile making her father seem unreliable and traitorous to the people of Alabasta.

While Luffy exclaimed that Vivi's father was very evil, not checking anything and immediately earning himself a kick in the head by Sanji for daring to talk such bullshit, Vivi herself sighed again and looked at the ground in front of her feet. As she knelt down, she continued to talk about the treachery and intrigues that led the country into civil war, but Yami didn't listen. She only saw the thing in front of her … the thing that stared up at them with wide, dark, never-closing eyes …

Vivi brought the skull up and pressed it to her forehead, talking on, but Yami heard nothing. She was suddenly surrounded by silence, silence everywhere, creeping upon her from all sides. Her widened eyes were focused on the smudgy-white piece of bones in the princess' hands, as if the world around her ceased to exist. Just her and the skull.

_No … no … _

Her mind went blank except the pure horror establishing there, all caused by the human remains laying on the ground. She gasped soundlessly as she was sucked into her own memories, long ago, skulls on poles, impaled like a nightmarish fence around the Marine outpost, some still with hair tufts attached to their withered skin flaking off like brown torn fabric in the sun …

"CROCODILE!" She was torn out of her own personal nightmare with a start. "WHAT RIGHT DOES HE HAVE TO DO THOSE THINGS?" _Vivi's voice …_

She swallowed, but her throat was dry, and this was definitely not caused by the sun.

"I WILL NEVER EVER LET HIM GET AWAY WITH THIS …!" the princess yelled out and buried her pretty face in her hands as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Somehow, Yami couldn't realise what was happening. She gulped a second time. It hurt like hell. She knew she should pity Vivi right now, or the country at least, but right now she couldn't. She was still somewhere else with one half, torn between past and present, and even if her eyes started to burn, she couldn't even blink to make the pain disappear. She still stared wide eyed at the skull now in Ace's hands as he helped Vivi bury it.

Then, a loud crashing sound reached them, and they saw the highest building in the ghost town collapse like a house of cards.

"Tch … stupid kids …" Zoro muttered under his breath as Luffy, Sanji and Usopp made their way back to them.

Yami blinked, bewildered. She hadn't even seen them disappear. "Let's move forward already," Luffy said with an expressionless face as his swirling arms finally came to a halt. "I'm freakin' out."

Yami stared at him, and the occurrences of the last few minutes slowly came back. Crocodile … had no right to do this … civil war … Luffy, Sanji and Usopp crashing a building in their rage. She shook her head violently to get rid of the other thoughts lurking in the background of her mind.

The skeleton was buried more or less properly, and now that the former head of a human being didn't look at her so terrifyingly, she could breathe again. Silently, she followed Luffy and his crew out of the town.

* * *

**Author's note: **Yup, Yami has an aversion for skulls. Just good that Brook's not yet with them xD Or else her coolness would have melted away like ice cubes in the desert of Alabasta …


	10. A Desert's Tricks

******Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 10: A Desert's Tricks**

"Aaaaaah …"

"Would you stop moaning already, Luffy? You're just wasting energy!" Nami scolded the straw hat-wearing boy, and Yami smiled, thinking about how the two would make a cute couple.

"Aaaaaah … I'm burning … can't even sweat …" he went on.

Indeed, it was hot – really hot, as they were in the desert of Alabasta. They were not even walking for four hours, and almost every crew member plus Yami felt like burning. Especially Chopper, who had grown up on a winter island, as he had explained to her earlier. Zoro had to drag him along on an improvised hand barrow, for he couldn't even walk anymore.

_Poor boy_, Yami thought compassionately. When she was hot underneath that cloak, how must the reindeer with all his fur feel now? She really didn't want to imagine.

"I can't stand the heat … I'm fine in the cold …" he panted with his tongue dangling out of his mouth.

"It's because you're all fuzzy," Usopp informed him, and then, with an innocent grin, asked: "Why don't you take that hat off?"

Chopper immediately grew to his human form (Yami still had to get used to that). "WHAT DID YA SAY? DON'T MESS WITH A REINDEER, PUNK!" he yelled at Usopp who screamed in fear.

"GYAAAAA! A MONSTER!"

Zoro rolled his eyes. "Don't get huge like that, Chopper, or else I won't pull you!"

Yami chuckled as the two friends almost started to fight – _the heat must make them crazy_ – before Zoro put an end to it by making Chopper small again with his fist.

The only ones not bothered by the heat were Vivi, who had grown up in such environment, and Ace. As a fire user, the heat apparently didn't matter to him, and Yami really envied him. He seemed to be in his natural surroundings.

After awhile, Luffy asked for water and Nami allowed him to take a mouthful – _jeez, girl, that was the wrong thing to say to a rubber man! –, _and then punched him, together with Usopp, so that he spilled all the precious water on the ground. In the end, it ended up in a fight between Luffy angry to have been made to spit the water out, and Usopp and Sanji, who wanted their turn on the water. Vivi screamed at them for wasting the water and their energy, and Zoro face-palmed. Yami hadn't enough energy left to laugh out loud, so she just grinned tiredly. She hadn't sensed her stupid cold the whole day (how should she in that heat?), but now it mad her rather exhausted – and it went worse with every minute. She nevertheless tried to carry it off well, especially as she felt Ace's eyes on her more often as they went on. Chopper, fortunately, was too busy with panting to remember he had a patient here.

Yami sighed silently as they went along. She would never admit it, but momentarily she even envied Chopper – for being dragged along.

"I told ya," Ace said as he walked up next to her. "Do you know now what I meant with being well and recovering and all?"

"Do you think this is funny?" she growled and looked up at him. "Just shut up now, I'm not in the mood." She had to concentrate on her feet at the moment so as not to stumble and fall down. She didn't really know if she had the will to stand up again if she did.

Ace, much to her surprise, really kept silent. He walked casually at her side as if it were nothing, hands in the pockets of his cloak, and as she fell behind for not keeping up with the others' speed, he remained next to her. She didn't know why he did this, he didn't have to do that and from his other behaviour, she could tell that he only found her annoying – at least, that was what he thought to feel, and what he always wanted to show her.

But she hadn't much time to muse about it since she needed all of her concentration for marching on and not losing the others. She wanted to throw herself on the ground right now – but no, that was not an option, she had to convince herself.

After an hour of boundless effort, Ace sighed and stopped. She followed suit and looked at him. "What's it?" she asked and tried not to pant too heavily while doing so. The others were already out of sight, _damn desert_.

He lowered his head. "On my back," he commanded without looking at her.

She flinched back, then frowned. "Never!"

"Come on, crazy girl. You're slower than my grandmother," he stated, lowering his rucksack and holding out his hands.

Yami stared incredulously. "No!" she insisted and then started walking on.

He let out an annoyed sigh. "The Queen of Stubbornness, that's what they should call you," he muttered as he caught up with her – which was not too difficult. "Now come on and don't act all childish."

"I don't!" she pouted and refused to look at him.

He chuckled involuntarily. The gap between what she had said just now and her current behaviour was just as large as it could be. She knew that but wasn't able to think of another response. This shitty sand was tricky, just one false step and – "Kyaaaaaa!"

Ace stopped in front of where she had fallen down on the sandy ground, her right foot stuck in the sand up to her calf. "What are you doing?" he asked with a smirk. "I didn't allow you a break at all."

"Shit! This fucking desert is the silliest place I've ever been!" she cursed lowly and came up to her knees to stand up, ignoring his saying.

"Hey crazy girl, be sensible and come up here," he said as he watched her crawl out of the sand-trap on her knees. She had lost her hood in the process, and her red hair glistened in the sunlight. Her bangs were damp from sweat but she didn't care.

"We'll lose them if we keep up that pace," he pointed out.

"They'll sit down and have a break and then we'll reach them …" she said, still struggling with the sand. She was determined to stand up and go on, she would show the freaking sand that it wasn't almighty and couldn't hold her back.

But just as she was on her feet again, she felt two arms wrapping around her waist and lifting her up. "And then what? Then you won't get _your_ break, baka."

"Stop that already! I can walk by myself!" she bitched as he took her up and threw her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing.

"Asshole! Let me go!" she yelled and pounded on his back, but he didn't seem to care as he just got under way, one arm wrapped around her kicking legs and the other holding the rucksack. She heard him chuckle, which made her even angrier.

"Hey, what d'you think you're doing? Let me go!"

"Nope. We'll lose the others, and you know that," he just said. "Man, you're thin …"

"I'm not thin! Shut the hell up! The hell!" She kept on pounding his back with her fists and tried to kick him, which only made him clutch her legs even tighter.

"Stop it, crazy girl. I saw how you eyed Chopper on his barrow. Just relax."

She sighed, knowing that she had lost. He was right, he was damn right, she had none of her strength left, but that didn't mean that it was easy to admit it. Deep inside, she was relieved, but this way of being carried was just humiliating. Sighing again, she propped herself up on her elbows resting on his back and tried to make the best of it.

"You know, if you promise to behave I'll let you ride on my back," he said after a while, and she could almost see him grin.

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, I promise. Asshole cowboy."

He chuckled and let her slide to the ground. When her feet touched the sand, she struggled to keep standing – everything seemed to whirl around, a strange feeling clearly caused by the rush of blood from her head. He held her wrist in a firm grip to steady her, but she only scowled up at him, momentarily cursing the big grin on his freckled face. She hated to be weak. She absolutely hated it. And she hated _him_ just now.

Without saying a word, Ace turned around and held his arms out backwards. She climbed his back and wrapped her arms around his neck from behind while he wrapped his around her naked legs on each side. And so they went on, both remaining silent on the way, and she had to admit it was better this way. Better because she wasn't flung over his shoulder like some freaking kidnapping victim anymore, better because she could rest a little and better because they advanced faster now that she wasn't slowing them both down (even if he could have easily caught up to the others instead of staying by her side; he surely was improving).

She rested her chin on his shoulder, right next to his ear, and felt him tense beneath her. This time, it was her turn to grin. "I'll behave, I promise," she muttered. "I won't try anything … for now."

"You'd better do as you say, or else I'll drop you," he stated dryly.

"Not that you could, cowboy," she chuckled right next to his ear. "Oh, which reminds me … did I have hearing problems when I heard you say something like you wouldn't wait for me if I fell behind in the desert?"

"Don't tempt me, crazy girl," he growled.

She laughed. "Yay! Now I have a nickname too. That's so sweet!"

"Oh shut up."

* * *

After three more hours the two of them reached Luffy and the crew. They would have reached them much earlier, had it not been for Ace having a narcoleptic fit in the middle of the desert. He had fallen down onto his face, and Yami had had to turn him over so as not to let him suffocate with all the sand in his face. When he had woken up, he had needed some time to spit it all out before they could go on.

Yami was relieved they had already put up tents around a campfire, for it started to get dark. And cold. Ace had carried her all the way and showed no single sign of tiredness or exhaustion. She really envied him.

"Oh, there you are. We already wondered where you were," Luffy welcomed them with his usual face-splitting grin. The others looked curiously at Yami being carried but said nothing about the matter, except Chopper. Now that it was beginning to grow colder, he seemed to regain his strength.

"Oh Yami, is it your fever? I'm so sorry, I didn't think of it, let me have a look at you …" he muttered worriedly and cast an excusing glance at her.

She shook her head as Ace released his grip around her legs and she slipped off his back, embarrassed by all the attention to her weakness. "It's nothing Chopper, don't worry. I found a nice vehicle to ride on," she told him with a wink at Ace, who huffed and rolled his eyes, but waited patiently for the little reindeer to finish his inspection of her. He gave her some medicine which she gulped down obediently.

Sanji had already started to cook, obviously animated by Luffy who was complaining the whole time. "I'm hungry!"

"Don't be so greedy, the meat is nowhere near done … Hands off!" Sanji yelled as he rapped him over the knuckles with a cooking spoon.

"Oww!" Luffy whined.

"Nami-swan, Vivi-chan, Yami-san! You'll be delighted, this is gonna be a feast …"

"Hey, I'm hungry too!" Usopp interjected, but was immediately hissed at by the cook.

"You wait, got it?"

Yami smiled as she watched them bicker. She could get used to that, really. Even at the rubber boy's grabbing hands all over her food, which she tried to defend with a fork.

"Stop that idiot, Yami-san is ill!" Sanji shouted and kicked him in the head. She knew he had only the best intentions, but being reminded of her stupid illness – weakness – all the time was not at all helpful. She couldn't even feel it anymore by now.

After dinner (which was really, really good, as Sanji's meals usually were), they sat around the campfire to warm up, for it had gotten freezing. It was amazing, all day it was so hot in the desert, but at night temperatures sunk rapidly, even below freezing point.

Usopp, Zoro and Chopper sat grouped together, and she could overhear a conversation about the stars. She looked up at them with an expressionless face. The stars always reminded her of her mother. Of the good side of her mother. Not the reckless one … No, she had stopped thinking about it long ago, putting it off after the incident with the Marine station. Her past had ended there.

She smiled as Usopp cuddled up against Chopper who struggled to escape his tight embrace before he grew to his strong form, shouting "DON'T MESS WITH A REINDEER!". Apparently one of Usopp's comments about his soft fur had aggravated him, and Usopp screamed in fear – again.

"Minimise, Chopper," Zoro commented. "It's not so bad after all."

"Yahooo!" Luffy exclaimed and jumped at Chopper who immediately shrank, completely taken by surprise. "You're so soft and cuddly …"

"Yeah, such a nice reindeer …" Usopp approved, even if he had feared him just seconds ago. Now the two of them cuddled against the reindeer, almost crushing him by doing so. Yami chuckled and put the cup of hot chocolate, which Sanji had made for the three girls, aside. Ace sat a bit off, preoccupied in thoughts as it seemed, and she decided to entertain him a bit to distract him. He deserved it, he had carried her across half the desert after all.

"Hey," she said calmly, smiling at him as she crouched down next to him.

"Hey." He didn't seem that eager to start a conversation but just stared at Luffy amidst his three crewmates (Zoro was involved now too as they crowded him, and at the moment he was busy with shoving them away while Chopper still tried to get Usopp and Luffy off himself). He seemed … sad?

She sat down next to him and tried to keep silent, but she had never been good at that. "How's it in Whitebeard's crew?" she asked after only a minute. She had failed miserably.

He turned his head a bit to look at her. He seemed surprised. Just as she thought he wouldn't answer, he sighed and a small smile sneaked upon his face. "It's thrilling," he said and stared into the flames if the campfire. "He's the greatest man I've ever seen. Literally." He gave a little laugh. "He cares for us like we're his sons."

"I've heard about that," she smiled. _It must be great to be cared for … _"The First Division Commander's name is Marco, right?"

He raised his brows as he looked back at her. "Right. You know him?"

"No, just heard about him," she said with a smile. "Is he nice?"

"He's my brother," Ace said as if she was crazy asking him such a question.

Yami's head jerked up. "Eh? Really?" she asked, surprised.

Ace curled up the right corner of his mouth into a half-smirk. "Not in that way, of course …" He looked at Luffy who had obviously overcome Chopper's struggling and slept cuddled up against the reindeer together with Usopp. "It's like Whitebeard is my father, got it?"

"Ah." She tugged a strand of her hair back behind her ear. "You miss them." It was a statement, not a question. It was obvious … someone who had always been with his crew must feel terribly lonely when travelling alone for such a long time.

He frowned and opened his mouth so as to let out an indignant response but finally just sighed. "It's been a long time."

She nodded. "You could always go back …"

"Not until I found Blackbeard," he said determinedly, furrowing his brows at the sand in front of him.

"What if you find him?" she suddenly asked and looked him in his pitch-black eyes.

He just shrugged. "I'll punish him," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Punish," she mumbled. "You mean, you'll kill him?"

"No. That would only put me on the same level with him. I'll defeat him and then take him back to pops."

"Pops?" she asked and raised one eyebrow.

He let out an annoyed sigh. "I already told you he's like a father to us, didn't I?"

She involuntarily smiled about his temper. "So, what will he do to him?"

"I don't know. That's _his_ funeral. He's the captain after all." He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his hat concealing his eyes. "And would you stop cross-examining me now?"

She chuckled. "Sorry. I was just interested."

He said nothing at that, but his body visibly relaxed.

After awhile, Yami saw the two girls stand up and decided to go to bed too. "Night, cowboy," she yawned and went after them.

Sleeping in the desert was harder than she had expected, even with the tent and the cloak and everything. It was so cold that her teeth chattered all the time, no matter how hard she tried to clench them, and she was afraid her stupid freaking cold would come back with all the fever and stuff. That wouldn't be cool, she couldn't stand another day like this, having to choose between either being carried along or stumbling like an invalid. Not that it had been bad to be carried, though. But she would rather not repeat that.

_Freakin' stupid asshole idiot cold …_

* * *

Outside the tent, Ace sighed in annoyance. Even at night she had nothing better to do than making so much noise that it really was some kind of a wonder that everybody else seemed to sleep soundly. He, for his part, could not with all that chattering of teeth.

With a low groan, he rose to his feet and made his way inside the girls' tent. He really wanted to sleep outside alfresco as the cold didn't bother him, but that didn't seem to be granted to him.

She turned her head as the tent's fabric rustled, with her teeth still chattering violently.

_Now get this bullshit out of the way …_ he groaned to himself.

He stepped over Nami's and Vivi's feet, who didn't seem to have such sleeping problems as their tent-mate, and went on his knees.

"Wh-what …" she tried to ask but failed as her jaws decided to move on their own.

"Shhh!" he hissed and lay down next to her, pulling the shivering girl into a tight embrace.

It was … weird. But somehow … good.

This was the first time he consciously noticed her scent, she smelled sweet and fresh, like a flower. No, like a bouquet of flowers. A whole field of flowers …

* * *

"H-h-huh?" she uttered, absolutely taken by surprise, but as she felt the stunning warmth of his body surrounding her completely, she immediately felt at ease. _Oh God …_

Okay, now this was pretty much the only thing she had absolutely _not _expected.

"How was I supposed to sleep with all that noise?" he mumbled as a half-hearted explanation. "And I don't want to drag you along tomorrow."

"T-thank you," she muttered and could already feel her shivering decrease. His arms around her and her body tightly pressed up against his, she soaked in the abnormal heat he radiated and snuggled her face into the crook of his neck.

"Even for the dragging."

He mumbled something she didn't understand, and she smiled at his collarbone. One moment later, they were both sleeping.

* * *

**Author's note:** Ohhh that came out cuter than I'd expected … I'm in love with my own story?!

(If you're too, please review! Or, if you're not, please review regardless ;-) I love your reviews …)


	11. Walking Through the Storm

******Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

**Author's note:** "nani" = "huh"

* * *

**Chapter 11: Walking Through the Storm**

Ace sighed, still half-asleep. It was so comfortable, the ground was soft, the sun didn't bother him and the girl sleeping beside him smelled nice. He was at peace.

He groaned lowly and nuzzled his nose deeper inside the girl's hair, embracing her tightly and huddling his body up against her back. This smell just mesmerised him, it made him dull and sleepy and wanting to never let her go again. The feeling of her back pressed up against his chest, the feeling of her rear against his morning wood …

_Wait a moment …!_

He opened his eyes. And was in speechless terror.

It wasn't just any girl that slept so (hopefully!) soundly next to him. It was Yami, and if she realised what he was doing just now (or what a certain part of him was doing just now), days, no, _years_ of mocking were warranted to him. Or worse, she would think that she could abuse the chance of the situation and come up with the next "Now's-a-good-time-to-sleep-with-you" thing.

He tensed as he suddenly heard movements behind his back. The girls were awaking! Okay, what they would think if they found him here was one thing. If they woke her up and _she _found him here, and especially _that way_, that would be the worst case _ever_. It was already bad enough that he still felt kind of dull and just wanted to lie there and press up against her even more, her body just felt so go– _No, shut the fuck up!_ he mentally yelled at himself and listened to the other tent inhabitants.

_Please be quiet, please be quiet …_ He didn't turn around, firstly because he didn't want to wake Yami, and secondly because the other two would perhaps leave them both alone and fucking _be quiet_ if they thought them both sleeping.

Vivi yawned. "Nani?" she asked and he knew she looked at him in that very second. He just hoped she wouldn't scream or something … but no. There was silence for a few seconds, then he heard her standing up and praised the princess for her good manners. She got out of the tent. He relaxed again and then slowly began unwrapping his arms – which was not that easy because one of them was stuck under her head.

"Hmmm …" she moaned in her sleep and he went rigid again. Besides, another part of him seemed to be rather pleased with the noises she made, _oh fuck_. There just had to be a way to get away from this …

"Luffy! Throw that creature away, it's dangerous!"

_Fuck, fuck, fuck! Damn, Luffy!_

Yami stirred in his arms, which made her behind press up even more against his, umm, special situation. He looked at her with wide eyes, but she didn't wake up,_ thank you so much_. Even Nami just slept on, she must have been used to so much yelling in the morning, considering who her crewmates were.

His left arm was already removed. But the right one, still under her head, was going to be difficult …

"Get away with that crap!" someone called in a high pitch. He could tell that it was Usopp, but that didn't really matter now.

_Argh!_

"Hmmmh?" Yami murmured and let out a small sigh.

She was already half-awake, and he had to take action now. In one swift movement, he pulled his arm out from under her head and pushed her away with so much force as he could mobilise so early in the morning – and with that freaking dullness still all around his body.

She flew a few metres away, rolling over the sandy ground to the tent's fabric wall where she finally came to a halt.

… _Okay, perhaps that was too much. _

She rose to her knees, all the while coughing and wiping the sand off her face. Then she stared at him, still looking drowsy and with a cute wrinkled-from-sleep face, her hair tousled from sleep. Her voice, however, was not so cute at that moment as she started to yell at him. "HEY! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?"

He really felt guilty at that moment. But even more, he was relieved that she hadn't noticed his … umm … condition. Not yet.

"Sorry," he said ruefully and made a concerned face. "I guess I might have overreacted …"

She grumbled something while still trying to get the sand off. "Asshole cowboy."

He decided it would be better to go out before she could really notice something. With quite a bit of absurd satisfaction, he noticed his ascendency from 'idiot cowboy' to 'asshole cowboy'.

Luffy, Chopper, Usopp and Vivi were already outside, all with a worried expression (all but Luffy) and looking into the same direction.

"Something is approaching …" Chopper said while standing on a rock.

"Nani?" Luffy asked and cocked his head to the left.

"What … what_ is_ that?" Usopp muttered.

Ace went some steps ahead and looked at the thing that came up straight in their direction. He narrowed his eyes. "Oh. That looks quite like a storm."

The thing was greyish, it was high and looked like a giant pillar, and it approached incredibly fast. Was it …

"OH! FAST NOW! TAKE SHELTER BEHIND THE ROCKS!" Vivi suddenly yelled.

"Nani? What?" Luffy asked dumbfounded.

"THAT'S … THAT'S A SANDSTORM!"

Ace looked at it while shadowing his eyes with his hand, and yup, it was just what he suspected. A large tornado out of sand … "Uh-oh …"

The boys and Vivi did as the girl had told them, but Ace was undecided. He turned and looked back at the tents. What about the others, they were still sleeping, and even Yami who was awake now wouldn't have enough time to take shelter …

"Holy crap! What's that?" the very object of his thinking cried out as she appeared in the tent's entrance. With wide eyes, she stared at the tornado now almost there. The whole world seemed to fly upwards, and Ace stood in the middle of it all, looking at her. _Damn, that's not enough time for her … and everybody else in the tents …_

Just then, with one last glance at him, he saw her closing her eyes, and the tattoos came back to her face – one split second before she was nothing more than a black shape.

_Damn good idea …_ he thought as he was carried away by the sandstorm.

* * *

She stared at the tornado of sand as it crashed right into idiot cowboy. She wanted to yell at him to transform into fire, but the noise of the tornado drowned out everything. Well, if he didn't think about something as easy as that, it was his own fault.

Being a shadow was strange. Her Devil Fruit powers allowed her to hear, feel, and see everything – she could even talk if she wanted to. And she felt the whole power of the sandstorm raging through her form, she felt every single grain of sand piercing through her shadow figure. It didn't hurt, but it was so weird.

She couldn't see any of the others, so as she was indeed able to walk through the storm for the wind could carry away everything but a shadow, she decided to look after them. She moved to the right where she had seen Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Vivi taking shelter behind the rocks, and they were still there, clinging to them desperately. They were well, she noticed with relief. Next to look at was Nami who had been still in the tent, as well as Zoro and Sanji … who probably had been asleep. The tents were already blown away, and she couldn't see any of them, which made her worried.

_I just hope they're well, too …_

Ace was the one she worried about least of all, for she knew he was strong and would survive it without a doubt. She moved to where the tents had been and looked up; there was grey fabric whirling around with the sand somewhere, but the three missing members of the Straw Hat Crew were still nowhere to be seen, so she moved into the opposite direction. She almost bumped into Ace – had she had a body at that time.

She was surprised that he was still standing, bent by the wind at that, but still standing, his hands clenched to fists and crossed in front of his face so as to protect it from the sharp grains of sand. He had his eyes closed, so he couldn't see her, but she made her way to his side and hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder. Of course he couldn't feel it, and it was a stupid and futile action, but she just felt like it now, even if it didn't have any effect on him.

She couldn't help but feel impressed by his strength.

His hat was long since dangling at nothing but the string that held it, wrapped around his neck, and it caught the wind like a kite. It looked rather suffocating …

At the moment the hat's string decided to rip, the whole man toppled over, straight through Yami's shadow body. She gasped at the strange feeling, even if it wasn't the first time someone did that. She looked after him as he disappeared in the whirlwind of sand.

* * *

After what seemed like an eternity, the storm calmed down, and the sun shone brightly. Yami was relieved to be able to transform back to her normal form, for it was difficult to hold it up that long – she had to admit her stupid cold got in her way once more. Yet, she didn't allow herself to rest but walked around instead, looking for the crew and the fire user.

The first thing she found was his hat. With a half-hearted smile, she took it up. Of course the ridiculous item had to survive the sandstorm. Of course the most unimportant thing of all was well and looked as healthy as a hat could look. She brushed the sand off, then continued her search.

Some metres away, she saw a dark-blue piece of cloth – _Vivi!_ She hurried up to her and started digging the princess out. As she was halfway through, she started to stir and soon, she was free and sat up, coughing the sand out.

"Thank … you …" she croaked hoarsely.

Yami was glad that she was alive and relatively well, but she had to find the others. "Let's go on searching, you're the first I could find …"

The princess nodded and they split up to look in different directions, the hat still in Yami's hands. As she was about to look on, suddenly the ground under her feet started to shake dangerously.

_Crap, another sand trap!_

But no …

* * *

"Gyaaaaa!" Ace exclaimed as he sat up. After shaking his head violently, he looked around. "Nani? Nani?"

He just found Yami laying on the ground at his feet and scratched his head. "Hey, whatcha doing there?" he asked confused.

She stood up and brushed the sand off her cloak, then lifted her face and shook her head, smiling. "Apparently I stood on you …" she stated happily.

He frowned. "That's not nice. Standing on people is really not nice, you know … oh, you've got my hat!" His face lit up immediately as he stood up and took his orange treasure from her hands. She rolled her eyes, but he didn't care.

"I see you're just so incredibly glad to see me unharmed …" she smirked.

He looked up at her again. "Oh. No, not really. I saw you getting into a shadow, remember? So I'm not very surprised to see you're okay. I just assumed it." He hadn't had the slightest worry about her from that time on, he knew she could manage things like this. She was the Lady of the Shadows, and it needed more than a lousy sandstorm to wipe her out. But, on reflection, perhaps he could indeed have been worried. She could still be sick, and not at the peak of her powers …

She cut him off as she nodded. "Unimportant. Let's look on. Oh, by the way," she asked, "why didn't you use your powers?"

"I don't think the sand would have gone straight through me like it did with you," he replied. "Perhaps it would've carried me off for lack of weight …"

"You could have tried."

"To risk losing my footing? No, thanks."

By the time they went on, the others had already broken through the desert's sandy surface, and they were relieved to see them all alive and well, even the three from the tents.

"Hey, that came suddenly …" Zoro said and brushed the sand off his clothes.

Sanji agreed while helping Nami to stand up. "I just slept so soundly …"

After recollecting their luggage, the group marched on.

* * *

**Author's note:** hahaha, did you like the way he woke up? I did xD And when watching the anime again, I laughed so hard when he just sat up with a yell after being buried by a sandstorm ...


	12. Sleeping Beauty

******Disclaimer**: I don't own One Piece. I only own Yami.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Sleeping Beauty**

Hot.

Just hot.

This freaking desert was so hot.

She couldn't think about something different. It was just hot, so incredibly hot. Sweat all over, sweat everywhere (she hated sweat!), and she had never hated the sun as much as she did in that very moment.

Once more, she felt that her body wasn't as fit as it was supposed to be, but she tried to ignore it nevertheless. From time to time, she sneezed – and that in the deepest depths of the desert. This cold was really aggravating. It annoyed her. She had never been sick before, not even when she had slept on the cold and wet planks of a ship, regardless how wet her clothes had been. And now this, especially when she really didn't need it.

However, she was glad when Luffy asked for a break. "Hey Sanji! Let's eat lunch! Pirate Lunchbox time!" he grinned but apparently bit on granite with the cook telling him that they wouldn't eat until Vivi told them to do so.

"Vivi! Let's eat! I'm starving!" the boy yelled at her with a large grin.

The princess furrowed her pretty brows. "But we're not even a quarter of the way to Yuba yet, Luffy! We have to spare our supplies …"

Luffy frowned at her. "Jeez, you're dumb. Haven't you ever heard this proverb? 'Eat when thou art hungry.'"

"Don't talk such bullshit! You just made that up!" Usopp muttered under his breath, propped at a large hiking stick.

The princess smiled heartily, despite the slight insult. "I understand … Why don't we take a break when reach the next rock?"

Both Luffy and Yami, obvious and not-so-obvious, were shocked by that. "What? Next rock? But it's nothing but sand here!" the boy complained.

Yami sighed and kept on walking. Chopper cast worried glances at her, he did it the whole time, much as if her looks didn't satisfy him as the doctor he was. She always ignored him, like she ignored her legs getting heavier with time. Obviously the fact that she had had to use her powers this morning didn't help very much but only made it worse.

She looked up as Nami bumped straight into Ace who suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

"Hey Ace, what is it?"

Oh, Yami already knew, and her assumptions were confirmed when he fell to his knees and started snoring.

She couldn't help smiling at the sight. Sanji turned him over with one foot, sighing in annoyance. "Now what do we do now?"

"We have to go on or we won't reach Yuba in time …" Vivi pointed out, biting her lip. "Could someone drag him?"

"He's way too heavy …"

"It's okay, I'll stay with him," Yami said, and everyone looked at her. She just shrugged. "You can walk on in the meantime. We'll catch up to you, don't worry. He's fast."

"You sure?" Sanji asked, seeming a bit worried. "What if you don't find us? And what if he's rude to you?"

Yami almost laughed. "I'm sure I can deal with that."

Zoro face-palmed. "Stupid ero-cook, is that your biggest trouble?"

"What did you just say?"

And in less than one second the two young men were about to start fighting, hadn't Nami's fist finished them both off. "Stop that now!" she scowled at them. "Okay Yami-san, if you don't mind …"

"No, it's okay. I'll just sit here and wait for him to wake up, I had to do that yesterday, too. Umm, Sanji-kun …"

"Alright, Yami-san?"

"Could you leave me some food or water? I don't know how long he'll sleep …"

"Of course, I'll do anything for you …" And with that he noodled around with heart-shaped eyes once more. Yami cocked her head to the side and watched him while biting her lip so as not to laugh out loud.

"Why does she get food and I don't?" Luffy pouted as they went away.

She heard Nami sigh. "Dumbass …"

Yami smiled as she sat down next to the sleeping figure of the fire user. This was just much to her joy, she could relax a bit in the meantime and he was cared for … not that he needed that, though. But she was sure he wouldn't find the others anymore, and that just because he didn't know the direction they went in.

"Phew …" she muttered. "That's boring, you know?" she said to the sleeping figure.

He snored in response.

"It was nice … that you warmed me up yesterday night," she went on and took some sand up from the ground. "It's nice that you care. Although, I really don't know why. You always pretend that you hate me …"

She let the sand trickle through her fingers, on his cheeks. As he curled up his nose in his sleep, she laughed. "Hey, that's cute. You're always playing the rough and tough guy, but deep inside you're just cute, eh?" She tapped the tip of his nose, then sighed. "Damn sun. If I didn't only find it ridiculous, I'd borrow your hat now …" She frowned slightly. "Guess that wouldn't please you. Mh, that'd be one more reason to do it …"

She pondered about it, but finally left the hat on his head, thinking it too embarrassing to be seen with, even if the observer was a scorpion or a vulture.

Humming a lively melody, she took her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

Five minutes later, she sighed. "Wake up, it's boring …" she said and counted his freckles by tapping them lightly with her finger. "Boooriiing … cowboy … boooriiing …" And as he didn't say anything: "So glad you gave me a nickname too, cowboy. You know, I never gave my name away, never."

She looked at the distance where the small figures of the Straw Hats had long since disappeared. They were really setting a brisk pace. "You and them, you're the only ones who know it."

"Oh really?"

She gasped and jerked back at the unexpected noise. He had his eyes open and stared at her with a cocky smile. "I didn't know that."

She frowned. "Man, could you please stop startling me? And yes, nobody knows my name so just keep it for you."

"So why did you tell me?" he asked and sat up. "Damn, what's that sand on my face?"

She giggled at his expression and turned away. "Huh, I don't know. I didn't care then." She knew that was definitely a blatant lie, but she had no other explanation to offer right now, any other one that wouldn't sound ridiculous.

He shook his head like a dog, and sand flew in all directions. She shielded her face with her hands. "Idiot."

He looked around. "Huh? Where are the others? Did I fall asleep again?"

She rolled her eyes. "Why do you think you're lying on the ground?"

"Oh. Right …" he said. "So you waited for me? Why?"

"You'd never find them," she smirked. "And besides, sitting here was very refreshing. Plus, I owed you something."

"Refreshing?" He stared at her incredulously.

"Yah, something like that. Perhaps it wasn't quite the right word. Now come on, we have to catch up."

He sighed. "Let me guess. I have to carry you."

She smirked. "Yup."

He rolled his eyes and she climbed his back, wrapping her arms around his neck while he hooked his arms around her legs like the day before, and took up pursuit.

She had her nose right next to his neck as she laid down her chin on his shoulder, and his hair tickled her cheek. She let go one hand and tousled it from the other side.

"Whatcha doing, stop that," he growled.

She grinned. "I still love your hair …"

He winced slightly, she could feel it, and her grin grew even wider. No, he hadn't forgotten the last time she had said that.

"You're talking nonsense," he muttered.

She bent forward and nestled her cheek to his, still grinning. "I'm not, and you know that."

He stopped and almost let her fall down. "STOP THAT, NOW!"

She sighed and withdrew. Just who did he want to fool? "It's a pity you're against body contact … Although I heard something different from several people …"

"Oh really."

"Yup. Suppose you learned a lot, did ya?"

"Too right."

She laughed. "I'd so love to have a try …"

"Forget it!"

"Aww, come on …"

* * *

As they reached the Straw Hats, they were in trouble, obviously. Something had happened, and now Luffy was running after a bunch of birds flying away with _… wait, is that our luggage?!_

"GIVE US BACK OUR STUFF!" they heard Luffy yell. Ace sweatdropped. If he wasn't carrying the crazy girl on his back right now, he would have face-palmed.

"Don't follow them, Luffy! How will you get back?" Nami yelled after him, but he already didn't hear her anymore.

"What is it?" Ace asked Zoro who stood there with his arms crossed and his usual half-bored, half-grumpy expression on his face. The swordsman raised his brows at the girl he was still carrying around but said nothing about the matter. Ace let her slip off his back.

"The birds tricked him," Zoro explained, looking after his captain. "They stole our luggage."

"Crap," Ace stated flatly. "So he's dumber than a bird?"

"That's just what I said," Sanji muttered. "Now he's off too … just making trouble all the time …"

"Umm, but look, he's coming back again," Yami said calmly.

"Huh?" Everybody looked into the direction she specified, and indeed: there was the rubber boy racing back to them as if he was chased by one hundred angry bulls.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" he yelled.

"What is it, now?" Sanji yelled back.

Nami stared wide-eyed. "He's being chased …!"

"A giant Sandora Lizard!" Vivi screamed in fear, pointing at the creature behind him. It was huge, and it was purple. Indeed it looked like a lizard, but the dimensions were not comparable. It was just too huge.

"A camel?" Ace questioned as he cocked his head to eye the animal running beside Luffy.

"We'd better save it, too," Sanji said calmly and took a pull on his cigarette. He looked at Zoro and then back at Luffy.

"I'VE GOT OUR LUNCH!" the rubber boy yelled with a large grin. Then he nodded at his crewmates.

Luffy stopped so suddenly that his feet slid on the sandy ground before he finally came to a halt. He immediately went in fighting stance, and so did the swordsman and the cook. Ace smirked and crossed his arms, curious about their success. With the Sea King, it hadn't been all too well.

"GOMU GOMU NO WHIP!"

"TATSU MAKI!"

"EPAULE SHOOT!"

The three of them crashed at the lizard so forcefully that it instantly collapsed.

The rest of the crew stared incredulously, Yami chuckled and Ace smirked. "Not so bad …"

"Was that really necessary?" Usopp mumbled, and Nami agreed with him.

"I'm kinda sorry for the poor lizard. It didn't have any chance against these three …"

With a very huge thumping sound that made the earth shake under their feet, the purple being crashed down. "Phew," Chopper sighed, but before anyone could say anything else, the ground behind them started to grumble threateningly. A bulge grew out of the sand right next to Ace who just looked a bit confused (somehow, it reminded them of the Sea King), and as the sand was completely removed from it, they stared right into another purple lizard's eyes – which, in turn, stared back hungrily.

"There's another of those monsters!" Nami yelled.

"Sandora Lizards go hunting in pairs! I'm so sorry, I should have told you before …" the princess screamed while Usopp's and Chopper's eyes nearly came out of their sockets.

"Huh?" Ace asked as the huge creature opened its large jaws with the very sharp teeth in it and let out a menacing, blood-curdling growl.

"ACE!" the girls, Usopp and Chopper called. "Be careful!"

Yami, standing next to the fire user, crossed her arms. "Think it's your turn now," she smirked, not at all impressed by the reptile or the waves of breath-taking smell it let out of its wide-open mouth.

He looked back at her, equally smirking. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," she answered, making a rejecting gesture. "I'd rather just watch today."

Ace nodded. He knew the sandstorm forcing her to use her abilities hadn't been that healthy for her – okay, she wasn't that harmless, innocent girl he was often tempted to see in her, usually when she smiled in that cute way (or slept), but even if she was dangerous (which she was), she had her limits. If he had transformed into a flame, he probably couldn't have kept it up as long as she had done this morning. And even if he thought it a pity that he couldn't see her use her shadow abilities – he had to know how strong she really was, just in case –, he longed for a fight himself.

"Well then, little boy. Wanna play?" he asked the lizard and grimaced as the creature let out another stinking, ear-shattering growl. "What's it you say? Just wait, you'll be bomb-happy in a sec …"

And with that, he jumped up high in the air, leaving Yami chuckling and the others screaming on the ground. "KYAAAAAAA!"

* * *

_Oh wait … is he just … jumping into its mouth?_ Yami thought as she observed the spectacle with now wide eyes.

Yes, he did. He jumped right into the stinking darkness, and in the next moment the lizard's teeth enclosed him in its mouth.

"ACE!" the girls yelled behind her. She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes, taking a few steps back. She already suspected something – which indeed occurred in the next moment.

The lizard exploded in a huge fire ball.

"Ugh!" she exclaimed as she ducked down and protected her face from the flames. _Stupid cowboy, could've warned me …_

"AAAAAHHHHH …" the others yelled, staring wide-eyed as the fire slowly dissipated and revealed its summoner walking casually towards them. He had a huge grin on his freckled face and looked as if nothing had ever happened.

"Luffy, lunch is ready …"

Yami rolled her eyes at his show-off of pride but couldn't suppress a small laugh. She wiped the soot the fire had left off her face and joined the others who were about to make the reptiles ready for lunch.


	13. Threat After Threat

**********Disclaimer**: I don't own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Threat after Threat … (No, not really)**

"Luffy, where does that camel come from?"

"Not a hunch. I saved it from that weird plant when I chased the birds," he replied, munching on a large piece of meat they had gained from the two lizards. Sanji used the hot rocks in the desert as natural frying pans to prepare them.

As the Straw Hats eyed the animal, they came to the conclusion that it wasn't a wild camel for it had a saddle, and Yami seriously thought about riding it. That would be greatly different from having to be carried around by the cowboy. Besides, she had never ridden a camel and was curious about how it would be.

Chopper seemed to know it from somewhere, and soon was deep in conversation with the other animal. His crew knew that, of course, but to Yami it would always be mysterious – and damn cute. She watched them wide-eyed and had to bite her lip so as not to squeak in delight. The small reindeer's deeply serious expression when he seemed to talk with himself, and the camel actually answering with hums.

Usopp, Sanji and Zoro talked about riding it and how riding a camel was the best way of crossing a desert, and Luffy climbed it in his pleasant anticipation. But he hadn't even swung one leg over the camel's back when the animal turned its head and took the rubber boy off with its teeth.

"Huh? What's his problem?" Luffy asked from the ground, furrowing his brows.

"He says he's really a cooperative camel but he's proud of his freedom," Chopper translated when the camel moved his mouth and made strange humming sounds again. "He says thank you for rescuing him but he has his principles and he only carries ladies."

"Intolerable!"

"How dare you!"

"You carried Chopper, too!" Luffy, Usopp and Sanji started coming at the poor thing to beat the hell out of him.

Yami chuckled. "The camel's attitude's not that far from Sanji's own, and yet he seems very much pissed by it," she pointed out with a laugh. Vivi smiled.

"Shove it!" Chopper translated the camel's saying when it showed its snow-white teeth, and the three guys were all over it again.

Nami saw her chance. "Ohh, poor thing," she purred and caressed the all-over-bruised-and-littered-with-lumps camel's fur, who immediately got heart-shaped eyes. The similarity to Sanji was so obvious that Yami almost fell to the ground with laughter.

Soon the camel let Nami ascend and the girl reached for Vivi. "Oh sorry Yami, we can switch in an hour or so, there's only space for two …"

Before Yami could even protest, the two girls were already continuing their way with the guys grumbling behind them. "WAIT FOR US!" they yelled and ran after the camel.

"Freakin' shit!" Yami cursed and darted off after them as fast as she could in the obstructive sand. "That's really all I needed," she panted. "WAIT FOR ME YOU IDIOTS!"

* * *

However, she hadn't run for a long time when Ace suddenly started running into a completely different direction than the others. First she thought he had spotted a new threat and wanted to defeat it, so she stopped and pondered about following either him or the others. But then, when she couldn't see any new strange desert animal appearing, she realised that he was just about to get lost!

"COWBOY!" she shouted after him, using both of her hands as a kind of speaker, "COME BACK! THAT'S THE WRONG WAY!"

But as he didn't hear her, she let out a hefty curse and with one last glance at the disappearing Straw Hats, remembering their direction, she ran after him. "COWBOY! STOOOOOP!"

He still didn't hear her but ran away stupidly.

_How, just how can one be so stupid … and blind … and so much of an idiot … annoying … bastard … asshole … _She couldn't even think in coherent sentences anymore as she had to concentrate very hard on not losing the fire user with his ridiculous hat running in the wrong direction like the last idiot. Which he obviously was.

Cursing inwardly for the whole time, she used what remained of her strength to speed up and just as she thought that her body wasn't made for such crap like running on top of her lungs in the middle of the desert, he – thankfully – slowed down.

She was just some hundred metres away from him when he lifted his head and – _wait, does that mean he ran with his eyes on the fucking ground the whole time?_ – looked around with a confused expression on his freckled face. And damn him – he didn't even show any sign of tiredness or exhaustion. Yami could have _kicked_ him for that.

"Huh? Oh, crazy girl," he beamed at seeing her arrive, panting like mad and with her head surely resembling the colour of a tomato. "Have you seen Nami and Vivi recently? I haven't seen them since they rode away on that camel …"

Yami was speechless in front of so much ignorance. Stupidity. Whatever.

She stared at him incredulously while propping her hands up on her knees and trying to regain her breath. Even when her breathing rate got back to normal, her mouth still gaped.

He looked at her invitingly.

She cleared her throat. "Umm, yes," she then said, with her voice rough and husky from so much struggling for breath. "Perhaps, I don't know, but PERHAPS BECAUSE YOU STARTED DARTING OFF IN THE FUCKING WRONG DIRECTION WHEN YOU WERE JUST BEHIND THE OTHERS?" she yelled at him before panting on. She shook her head as he went wide-eyed and looked around like it was the first time he noticed that they were alone.

"Huh? Luffy?"

"Yah right," she muttered. "Just how blind are you? How fucking blind and stupid and dense and slow and …"

"So why did you follow me then?" he interrupted her ranting and raving.

She stopped and narrowed her eyes, tugging her sweat-soaked hair behind her ears under her hood. "Because you'd be terribly lost without me."

"Oh really?"

"Yup."

"And you know the way, right?"

"Right. Up there." She pointed to a huge dune at their right.

"You sure?"

"Yah cowboy, stop being an idiot and just follow me."

He huffed but did as she wanted.

"And just for you to notice. We're more than even now."

"Are we? I think you still owe me …" he smirked.

"I don't think. But if you want, I could pay you back in kind …" She stopped and gave him a wink, together with her trademark smirk.

"Just shut up!" he growled. "You're right, we're even."

"Why didn't you say that straight away?" she chuckled.

He stopped and narrowed his eyes.

"Huh?" she said and did the same. "What was that?"

"What was that noise? You heard it too, right?" he asked her, looking at the sky while listening to the distant grumbling. It sounded like a thunderstorm or something.

She nodded. "A storm?" she suggested.

"I don't think …" he began but was cut off when the ground in front of Yami started to shake violently, and by now they knew what that meant.

"Crap desert!" she yelled, jumping back so as not to fall into the crater around the huge bulge of sand that grew out of nowhere, and Ace grabbed her wrist for support.

"Now what's that?" she asked, slightly annoyed, as they backed off. That thing was bigger than they had assumed.

"Huh?" he said and cocked his head to the left, eyeing the giant and kind of pink scorpion that came out of the sand where Yami had been standing only seconds ago.

"A scorpion," Yami sighed and rolled her eyes. "Just what was missing for our luck."

The armour-clad animal stared at the two with gleaming red eyes that made her shudder slightly. Why had all the freaking animals in this scary desert to be giant, poisonous or just aggressive without any apparent reason?

Right now, the scorpion pointed at them with its sting in a very threatening way. "I just knew you had to do that," Yami muttered.

"Cut that out," she heard her companion say to the creature. "I wouldn't try that, if I were you."

Yes, she would just leave it to him. No need to exert herself when she was with Mister Bonfire himself.

As she had already suspected, the scorpion had _not_ listened and had to be taught manners (in form of roasting it).

"Great job, cowboy. Would be a nice dinner if I didn't think him to be as poisonous as his spine."

Ace shrugged as they walked on. "Told him to cut it out."

Only a few minutes later, they ran into the next desert creature that thought about molesting them. Ace, who went first, stopped when a lizard-like animal appeared like grown out of the sand in front of him.

"Why are you sto– ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Yami yelled at the newcomer.

If she hadn't been so annoyed about being kept from continuing their way to find the others once again, she would have laughed at that joke of nature's. The creature was like a lizard, but not like the other two whose acquaintance they had already made as it was upright on its hind legs but still not very much higher than Ace himself, with its yellow eyes oddly bulging out of its head. It was purple with an orange stomach and red scales on its back and head, looking just as ridiculous as a creature could.

But the funniest part was yet to come.

Ace frowned at the animal and took a step aside to get around it as it didn't seem that much of a threat to put up an effort, and the animal did the same, standing in his way once again. He frowned deeper and took a step to the other side – and the lizard did the same.

Yami's eyes grew wider by seeing that, and after some more attempts of his to evade the mockery of an animal, she lay on the ground, pounding it with her fist and laughing her head off. It just looked like a mirror in front of the fire user – a distorting, weird, uglifying mirror at that, but still funny enough.

"Wanna dance, fellow?" he asked the lizard in a dangerous tone, but suddenly the creature's eyes fell on the smoking remains of its desert mate – and tears streamed out of ist eyes like waterfalls.

"Wahahahahahaha!" Yami howled with laughter. "It's afraid! Hahahaha! That's so … hahaha … funny … hahaha!"

"Yeah, right," Ace said dryly. "Very funny. I think we can ride it."

She looked up and saw him already mounting the creature behind its head. "Come up here, I won't wait any longer," he said impatiently and waved for her to get up.

"Hahaha … right," she chuckled and stood up to climb up behind him. There wasn't much of a thing to hold on to, so she just wrapped her arms around his waist and let her bare legs clutch the creature's chest from behind. "Woohoo! Let's go!"

And the lizard was put into motion.

"So where do we go now?" Ace asked.

"Umm … seriously, I haven't the slightest idea." Because of all the animals and sand moving and stuff, she had unfortunately lost the direction.

"Ah. And you thought I'd be lost without you."

"Oh, I don't _think_ that, I _know _that," she answered and smirked into the fabric of his cloak.

"Oh really."

"Yup, honey. Who'd be there to hold on to in the nights?" she giggled. He kept silent and she was absolutely sure he was blushing right then. Of course, in the morning, she had noticed their sleeping position. That means, she had remembered it afterwards, when he had woken her up so incredibly softly. She still had no clue why he had done that, though.

"I think it's the other way round," he mumbled just as loud for her to hear. "You need me."

"Shishishi, what an idea!" she laughed and nuzzled her nose into his cloak once more. "Yes, I think there's no way denying it any longer, I absolutely need you, you're my sun and my stars, you're my lifeblood and my biggest treasure on earth …"

"Oh shut up already."


	14. Asshole

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 14: Asshole**

"Boooriiing …"

"Would you stop that already?"

"Why should I? I'm just speaking the truth. This desert is boooriiing …"

"A few hours ago you just complained about the desert animals wanting to kill us! What do you want, crazy girl? Man, you're even more annoying than Luffy in one of his moods!"

"I take that as a compliment."

"It wasn't meant as one."

"Did you just say something?"

Ace sighed and rolled his eyes. "What have I done to deserve this?"

"I dunno. You must have been quite a nice person in your former life," she giggled.

"That's _not_ how I meant it!"

"I know. You're freaking out. Must be the heat …"

"No, I'm absolutely positive it's _not_ the heat!" he growled and turned his head to face her, which was a bit difficult considering they were still riding the strange lizard and she was placed behind him.

She looked up at him with an innocent smile. "Too much pressure? Oh, I know that feeling, although I'm not a man. I could relieve you when we arrive in the next town, but I don't wanna do it in the desert … too much sand everywhere, you know."

"Pressure my ass!" he hissed and turned back, his fists clenched in anger.

"Ah well …" she mused. "I know you want to, just why are you denying it?"

"Shut up."

"I really don't know, it's not like you're trying to save your virginity, hell no …" She chuckled. "Who would know that better than me, actually?"

"I said, shut up!"

"It would be better for both of us, you know?"

Desperate times called for desperate measures, and here he was, leading his trump. He hoped it was his trump. He really didn't have the nerves to argue about that now. If anything, he had been glad her illness had obviously occupied her that much that she hadn't tried any attempt at seducing him or other such things. Good that he had something in his mind, meant to silence her in situations like this.

He interrupted her flood of annoying words with one simple question. "Why were you scared of that skull in Erumalu?"

Indeed, it was a success. In less than one second, she stopped dead mid-sentence.

And said nothing.

He smirked, knowing he had hit a sore spot. Her Achilles' heel? With a satisfied feeling, he looked in the distance. Peaceful desert.

The minutes went on. They went on. And she just kept quiet.

In the beginning, he enjoyed the silence. Were it not for the extra arms around his waist, it would seem like he travelled alone. Beautifully quiet. On top of that, her hold on him had lessened imperceptibly, and her face was no longer placed so annoyingly close to his back, as if she leaned backwards now. So peaceful, no stupid questions or ambiguities …

But as the time went on and she was still silent, it started to make him uneasy. He had gotten used to her talking endlessly much. This was even more disturbing than the other extreme, which was her talking in her usual carefree manner, as if nothing could actually stop her.

God, he felt like the last asshole.

He stopped the lizard with a pat of his hand, and she instantly let him go and slipped down the animal's back soundlessly, starting to walk on by herself, but he jumped off too and firmly grabbed her wrist before she could get away.

She stopped, her hair and hood shadowing her usually so bright eyes, the rest of her face terribly expressionless. "What?"

He almost flinched at her voice. It wasn't hers anymore, it was a rough and harsh imitation vaguely sounding like hers. But he didn't let go.

"Listen, I'm sorry," he said calmly as he stared at her face and tried to locate her eyes in the darkness. _Asshole, asshole …_ it rang out in his head.

"You'd better be," she said in that same hard voice. All of a sudden, a deathly cold shudder raced down his spine, making him clench his teeth and widen his eyes involuntarily. Was that … her?

"Yami," he said, as softly as he could, cautiously taking her hand. "I'm really, really sorry. You're damn right, I'm an asshole. I won't say that again, I promise."

"What if I asked you something like this? Huh? What about _your_ family? Why did _you_ leave them to become a pirate? What happened in _your_ past? Oh, you won't tell me? _What a fucking pity!_" she hissed without looking at him.

"I know. I'm sorry," he said, still feeling stupid and oh so terribly guilty. He had never seen her like this, everybody had his secrets and he had no right in the whole wide world to offend her like this. To _hurt_ her like this, just to make her stop talking. He had been so unbelievably stupid.

"I'll do anything to make up for it," he assured her and withstood the incredible urge to take her in his arms. She would probably hit him if he tried. Or worse.

"Anything?" she suddenly asked, her voice almost back to normal and – _Wait, is that a smirk?_

"Uhh … anything except _that_," he smiled, feeling the skin of her wrist burn where he touched it, but it wasn't him. He let her go and hesitantly let his hand travel up and down her lower arm, under the fabric of her cloak.

She kept silent for an agonisingly long moment. He waited for her answer, he really wanted her to be happy again, as happy and carefree as ever, her usual self, the self that he liked, as much as he wanted to deny it. This was just not right.

Then she smiled, she really smiled at the caressing touch on her arm, and lifted her gaze at him. "Accepted," she said quietly, looking at him out of her really incredibly blue eyes again sparkling with her annoyingly bright attitude. At this moment, this colour was the most beautiful he had ever seen.

He really had to hold back so as not to grab her and pull her into a tight embrace. Because that would have been exaggerated.

* * *

They travelled on like before, only with Ace feeling still a little awkward and in reversed positions – her first request had been to sit in the front, so she now sat right behind the lizard's eyes, overviewing everything, with the fire user behind her and his arms around her waist for a change.

"What d'you think, how long until we reach a town?" she asked. The sun was already going down, and it started to get cold.

She had always recovered quickly. Especially from insults. So it made no sense why it was different this time, it hadn't even been a real insult at that.

"I don't know. As for me, we could ride the whole night. It's quite comfy thanks to our little friend here."

Of course now she was over it, and started to feel good again, but why did she have to make him such a scene? She could have just put it off and dismiss it with a wave of her hand, like she always did.

"Yah, we could. But we need to eat something soon. At least, I do, and knowing your bottomless-pit-stomach by now, you do, too."

Perhaps it was because she hadn't believed that someone had indeed noticed her condition in Erumalu, and this had surprised her. It had, of course.

"We could rest a little and then go on."

Or perhaps it was because it had to be him who saw it, him of all people, in front of whom she always tried to be strong and powerful, she didn't even know why.

"Good idea. You still have the lizard's meat, haven't you?"

And now he had to twist the knife in her wound and make her even more vulnerable, and she absolutely hated being vulnerable, let alone when somebody was there to witness it. Especially him. Weird, all this. But he had said her name for the first time since they had met again, she hadn't missed that, and actually it was the second time at all. That was kind of cute, she thought.

"Ye-ah …" He suddenly let go of her waist.

"Huh? What's the ma– Oh please, not again!"

He fell off the lizard's back who immediately stopped and turned to look at him. Yami rolled her eyes and jumped off the animal's head, turning the fallen cowboy around with one foot. She sighed. "Oh, damn you. Thanks for deciding for yourself …", she muttered, but instead of an answer, she only heard a loud snore.

"Yah, I thought you'd say that."

She then grabbed the lizard's dangling tiny arm, looking him deep in the eyes. "And as to you," she told him with a low, dangerous voice, "I wouldn't try running away only because we're sleeping. You know, we'll find you anyways, and then," pulling a piece of lizard meat out of her rucksack, "you'll become something like this, thanks to Mister Bonfire over there. Got that?"

The lizard shivered slightly, and she nodded in satisfaction. "Good boy. I'll take this as a yes. We'll feed you as soon as we reach the next town." She let him go and rummaged around in Ace's luggage, knowing he had a bit of firewood somewhere down there. "Hah, I knew it."

She pulled the wood out of his bag and stacked it up in a small pile before furrowing her brows. "Oh crap …" she cursed, looking at Ace's sleeping figure. "Hey cowboy, could you just … umm … light that?"

He snored in response, and she sighed. "Well fuck. Why can't you just burn in your sleep, huh? I could try to get you …" She pondered about it while studying his body, but dismissed that idea soon, turning to the lizard who had curled up beside her like a colourful but ugly giant dog. "Hey you. Can you light fire? Are you some kind of … fire salamander?" she asked the creature who just blinked at her. "No? You sure?"

The lizard only stared back at her.

"You know, the thing this piece of meat had once been was a lizard, too …" she said casually. "And it was just thirty times bigger than you. Approximately."

She didn't achieve anything but that their means of transportation now trembled like mad, and sighed. "Okay, seems like you can't. Good that I've got some supplies left from today morning, bless you, Sanji …"

She nibbled at a sandwich, the most delicious one her mouth had ever made acquaintance with, but somewhere halfway between she somehow felt sorry for the lizard still trembling violently and keeping his big yellow eyes glued to her.

"Here, poor thing. That's for today, tomorrow you'll get more," she told him and gave him her second sandwich, which he eagerly took and shoved into his mouth. Yami smiled. "Yah, good boy. Or are you a girl?"

The creature blinked at her, looking somewhat dumb.

"So I just say you're a boy, okay?" Of course she got no answer.

She yawned and stretched her arms. It had been a long and exhausting day, so she decided to go to sleep. With one last glance at the lizard – "Once more, you stay here!" –, she curled up next to Ace who still lay where he had fallen down, snuggling into his chest and pulling his open cloak over her like a blanket. At least, she tried. But the warmth his body gave off was enough to make her comfortable and not chattering her teeth once again, and besides, he was quite comfortable to lie on.

She deeply inhaled the scent he gave off, something between burnt wood, dark musk, and fresh hay … _Huh? How can one smell like hay in the middle of a desert?_ she wondered, but that didn't change the fact that she couldn't describe it other than that.

Really comfortable.

Nevertheless, the sand really bothered her, it was about … everywhere. She let out a deep sigh.

"Stupid desert …"

* * *

**Author's note:** Oh wow, my fingers flew right over the keyboard! This chapter was just so much fun to write! I'm quite euphoric now, yay!

**Yami:** Is that why you made me sleep with him once more?

**ASG:** What, you don't like it?

**Yami:** Yes, but …

**ASG:** What?

**Yami:** Could you please turn off the snoring? It's quite hard to sleep next to someone who's busy with cutting down a whole forest while sleeping, you know that …

**ASG:** Oh. Well, one cannot have everything. You'd better get used to it …

**Yami:** What's that supposed to mean?!

**ASG: **Come on, this story's labelled "Romance". There won't be many nights with you sleeping alone.

**Yami:** …

**ASG:** Don't act like that's a bad thing! Hellooo, it's ACE …

**Yami:** He just insulted me.

**ASG:** … because you annoyed him. Don't be a baby.

**Yami:** I'm not!

**ASG:** Could you two just shut up? I'm supposed to sleep here …


	15. Food Fight

******Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 15: Food Fight**

He awoke any time in the night. It was dark, he was hungry and … _hey, what's that?_

Arms around his chest? A leg … _Yami?_

_Of course, who else should it be, the lizard?_ he chuckled inwardly at himself. _Speaking of whom … _He lifted his head slowly so as not to wake her, and looked around. Against all his concerns, their scaly friend slept soundly next to them, curled up into a weird colourful ball.

Ace cocked his head. _I wonder why he doesn't run away …_ Then his gaze met the head lying on his chest, and he grinned. Of course she must have told him something, there was not really another explanation. If he had been the lizard, he would have made a quick getaway.

He lay back down and thought about why he was so damn hungry. He remembered talking about resting and getting something to eat … but hadn't they realised those plans? Hm, obviously not.

_Oh … must've fallen asleep …_ he mused and sighed. _I could eat something now, if I can get up without waking her …_

Seeing the built-up fireplace, bathed in moonlight, untouched, he grinned. It seemed like she hadn't had a lighter with her, and as he had been sleeping, he had cut her out of her dinner. _Sorry, crazy girl_, he smiled down upon her head.

Yeah … he should try to get up … and eat something … he really wanted to eat something now …

He couldn't.

It was as if the slender figure laying half on top of him weighed one thousand pounds, pressing him down and not letting him escape. He was well aware of her left cheek on his chest, of her arm, though clothed, around his waist, and of her right leg somewhere in between his own. And somehow, he just couldn't move. Neither could he wake her up and destroy that incredibly peaceful expression on her cute sleeping face. He owed her one, after all, and this was just the beginning.

_One moment … what? What am I thinking? Just the beginning! Crap and stuff! _

He sighed again, slowly taking his arms up (_Crap! My damn hand has gone dead! Hellooo, wake up, fuckin' hand …_) and tugging them behind his head as some sort of cushion, gazing up at the stars. He could just lie here and ignore his growling stomach, it wasn't the first time after all, considering that he could theoretically eat every minute of the day it was really nothing new. It was just so comfortable like this, and if he listened hard enough, he could hear her breathe. Together with the actual chilling feeling of her breath against his bare skin, it somehow lulled him and made him sleepy all over again.

It was a strange feeling, strange but unbelievably comfortable. He didn't want to leave it now (or ever again), and so he just enjoyed the moment.

Finally, he was able to drift off to sleep again – which was a bit of a wonder, seeing how long he had slept before.

_She just makes me sleepy …_

* * *

In the morning, though, awaking was not so peaceful.

Not because she was awake before him and made much noise, no, all but that. In fact, she was still sleeping.

It wasn't really the way he awoke … rather the way they had ended up somehow. _Again._

Already alerted by his memories from the morning before, he blinked once and lay completely still, checking the situation.

She was still curled up next to him … or rather: upon him. Her head lay on his chest and her hair tickled him, okay, that was one thing. Her right arm around his upper body was equally okay – or, acceptable.

But her legs had moved in the night, and that was a bit of a dilemma for him. Her left leg entangled with his own two, he could scarcely move without moving her. Which was rather troubling.

And her right leg lay bent on the, uh, lower parts of his body – namely, very, very close to his crotch. With his usual morning erection proudly standing out. Literally speaking.

_Uh-oh. Mental note: Do not sleep with her next to you ever again. It will only end up bad for you. _

He broke out in cold sweat.

_Shit. Shit, shit, shit. _

How should he get away with it this time? How should he get up – or get her away – without actually waking her? That was just im_-fucking-_possible!

Something rustled next to him, and the lizard's head came into his vision. It looked confused, or was it just him?

He glared at the poor animal with the clear intention of warning it, one step closer and it would be dead. If it woke her up, it would be so fuckin' dead like one could be.

The lizard, though, did _not_ get it.

Like a dog, like a stupid freakin' dog, it bent down and nudged her in the side with its nose.

"Mmh … lemme sleep …" she sighed and curled up even more.

His heart almost stopped.

Now her knee was just upon the very spot it was absolutely _not _supposed to be. And even worse was that the friction she was creating did totally not help in getting him to relax.

In other words: it aroused him, it made him stiffen, _it made him even harder_.

And that made him freak out. She would wake up every damn second, and how could she not realise where she was lying at the moment? How could she not notice the condition he was in? She would, and then his nightmare had just begun.

"GET THE FUCK UP!" he yelled and rose so suddenly that she fell on her back, being completely shocked.

"GAAAAH!" she yelped, rolled herself over and hurried to get up, looking around with her hair arranged all around her head from sleep. "What? Who? Where?" she yelled, taking in her fighting stance with her fists clenched in front of her chest. Then, after seeing that nobody was around and ready to kill them, she blinked, completely bewildered. "Huh?"

She looked at Ace who kinda blushed because of reasons he didn't quite know. As he felt his cheeks getting hot, he tried to hide it by quickly grabbing his hat and pulling it into position.

"THE HELL?" she shouted at him. "IS THIS YOUR USUAL WAY OF WAKING UP? ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?"

"Sorry …" he muttered. He had overreacted again, it seemed. Damn.

"SORRY MY ASS! I DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO WAKE ME UP LIKE THIS? HEH?"

When he didn't answer but turned away to his rucksack, she grumbled a few insults he was very glad not to understand and brushed the sand off herself.

_Phew …_ he sighed inwardly as he went off to do some kind of morning wash. As far as you can wash yourself in the middle of the desert. And when he came back, she sat there, next to the small pile of wood still unlit, and had her eyes narrowed at him so hard that he could scarcely see her eyes in her expression of pure anger.

"Asshole."

He chose not to answer that. Instead, he knelt down at the other side of the pile and lit it with just a little wave of his fingers. Smiling up at her, he found her staring at the flames. "And here we go …"

"Yah, right," she muttered. "After you almost let me starve yesterday night. Only thanks to Sanji's habit of giving girls too much food, I didn't."

"So everything's okay, right?" He still showed his uneasy smile, somehow he felt really embarrassed. "I can't do nothing against falling asleep …"

"Right," she repeated and let out a deep sigh. "But why do you always have to send me through half the desert when you wake up? Are you not used to waking up with a girl next to you? Aww, come on!"

"That's not really it …" he muttered and searched his rucksack for the lizard drumsticks he was positive to have taken with him.

"So what's the point? Are you … scared of me?"

He didn't have to look in her direction to get the broad smirk on her face now. "Of course I'm not!" he said ungraciously. "Damn, I'm so sure I brought them …"

"Brought what?" she asked and crawled up next to him, peering into the bag too.

"The meat …"

"Don't tell me you just forgot the meat!" she yelled incredulously.

"Seems so …" he muttered and brought one arm up to scratch his head sheepishly.

"Dumbass!" she shouted and slapped him over the head.

"Hey! What was that for?" he shouted back.

"That was for once again throwing me into the sand, idiot!" she explained, calmer now. Then, taking him completely by surprise, she hit him once again.

"HEY!"

"And that was for yesterday morning," she stated and grabbed for her own rucksack. He grumbled while rubbing his poor head.

"Oh, and just before I forget," she said out of the blue and hit him a third time, "that was for forgetting the meat."

"STOP HITTING ME!" he yelled at her, getting mad.

She didn't pay any attention to his raging but turned around, perfectly calm by now, and started roasting the one drumstick she had brought.

When he was done with yelling at her, he noticed one important fact. He was hungry, and she was the one in possession of the meat, which was not the right moment to shout at her, even if she had hit him because of some of her bullshit reasons.

_Crap!_

"Umm, honey …" he started, almost choking on the title, "seems like we have to share …"

She turned around, slowly, oh so very slowly, and equally slowly, her smirk spread all across her face, making her seem like the devil itself. "Oh really?" she said with a sugar-sweet but all the same terribly dangerous voice. "I can't see how we should divide this tiny piece …"

_Tiny piece my ass!_ he cursed inwardly and clenched his teeth in order to keep it inside. _That's big enough for you and me and Luffy! … Uh, okay, perhaps that was exaggerated._ At the same time, he forced his hey-I'm-the-cutest-boy-in-the-whole-wide-world-how -could-you-refuse-me-a-small-favour smile on his face.

However, she shattered all his hopes into pieces immediately. "Stop making your cute face, cowboy. I psyched you."

"Too bad …" _Damn, I have to come up with a good idea, now!_

And that was when it dawned on him. The one thing she always wanted, he had it … or rather, he _was_ it. He would do everything for this piece of meat, he was starving, no meal since almost twenty-four hours …

"You psyched me?" he asked with a low voice as he approached her, still half-crawling in the sand, on his hands and knees, trying to be as seductive as he could. "So … you know what I'll do now?"

* * *

"Umm … no?" she said and frowned at the moves he made while he came around the small fire. _What the hell …? _

He looked like an oversized cat. And an erotic one at that. But was that really …? Did he want to … attack her? She eyed him suspiciously as he came closer and closer.

"What's the matter, stop being so … hmpf!" She went wide-eyed as his lips crashed down on hers without former warning, capturing them into a fierce and intense kiss that almost hurt, more an attack than an actual kiss. At the same time, she felt his hands at her hips, pulling her towards him until she struggled to keep her balance, and just as she was about to topple over, the drumstick was wrenched from her hand and everything was over before she could even blink.

"Wha–" she stammered until she found her tongue again. "_What the fucking hell was that?_"

He sat a few metres away, happily nibbling at the piece of meat.

She was speechless. Just speechless, with wide eyes and her mouth gaping even wider. She just couldn't believe it. Had he really … kissed her … _for a piece of meat?_

She cleared her throat, still feeling terribly confused all over. "You know, if I knew it was so easy to get you to kiss me, I'd tried that earlier."

He just grinned and munched on.

"Oh, besides … didn't you say you wanted to share?"

"Ah … but this is way too tiny, I just don't know if I could cut it in half …" he said with his mouth full and the grin still in place.

She grinned slowly and evilly. "Don't mess with me, cowboy. Give it back."

"In your dreams! I had to fight hard for this … do strange things and stuff …"

She narrowed her eyes, and then, without any prior sign, she transformed and launched herself onto him so fast that he just couldn't see it come.

"Ha!" she yelled triumphantly as she transformed back and grabbed the meat (or what was left of it) from his hand.

"HEY!" he protested, but she was already back up and started to run. However, he managed to grab one of her ankles, making her fall down, and luckily she held the drumstick over her head so it didn't get all sandy.

"Give it back!" he growled and pinned her down with one hand.

She turned her head so that he could see her grin. "What was that you said? In your dreams!" She stuck out her tongue and transformed again – and with her, the meat.

"HEY! THAT'S NOT FAIR!" he yelled as his hand suddenly grasped sweet nothingness.

"And so were you," she replied casually as she reappeared a few metres away. "Just for you to know: I could actually do that all day, so if you really want to share, I'd do that. You were the one who forgot his food, so you should be glad that I'm ready to share mine with you."

"You can't stay like that the whole day!" He growled like a dog before jumping at her, but she saw it coming and went to 'shadow mode' again.

"Oh yes, I really think so. You're funny. Funny and stupid. I should really check out how far you would go for a piece of meat," she giggled.

"Don't you dare!" he said, clenching his fists and shooting her a death glare.

"We'll do it like this. You'll let me eat calmly, and then I'll give you your share. That means, if you don't disturb me. Okay?"

He growled something in response but luckily sat down, which she took as a yes. Satisfied with herself, she sat next to the lizard who had watched them with awe. She patted his head and started to eat. "Bwah! It's damn cold by now! Heat it," she commanded.

"Why would I?" he said with a frown, arms crossed tightly.

"Because I have the meat, and you want it," she giggled and held it out for him. "But if you burn my hand, I'll drop it."

He rolled his eyes, then did his little fire trick again and warmed it up, careful not to touch her skin.

"Thank you so very much." She knew he was waiting, and she knew he was impatient, and most of all, she knew he was watching her closely. So she swallowed down her grin and took her sweet time, smelling the scent of the roasted meat before actually eating it – "Mmmh, that smells so great!" –, and when she did, she did it oh so very slowly, laughing her head off at his face inwardly. But he said nothing, he just watched her with a deadly expression on his face, telling her that he would kill her when this was over.

"Want some too?" she asked, turning to the lizard and patting his head once more. The death glare Ace gave the poor thing made it gulp and shake its head fiercely.

"Oh, too bad."

"Now hurry the fuck up!" he yelled at her, and made a mad face.

She yawned. "Hm, actually …"

"Actually you've already had your share, so now give it to me!"

"Oh, I could give it to you," she mumbled with a mischievous smile and clear ambiguity in her tone – that made him scowl and turn away his head. Of course the ambiguous meaning didn't escape him, and that was exactly her intention. He just had to be punished. Tit for tat.

"By the way, you've already had some, so I can eat more than half of it."

"You just made that up!"

She giggled again and finally threw him the half-eaten drumstick. He grabbed it like it was the most precious item in the world, gave her another glare which she interpreted as "I'll eat, and then you'll be dead!", and ripped out large bits of it with his teeth, like he feared her taking it away from him once again.

Oh, she would never get tired of teasing him!

* * *

**Author's note:** And so will I! It's just too much fun! I really think messing with a hungry Ace is dangerous, just like with his brother, so I really enjoyed writing this^^


	16. Dangerous

******Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 16: Dangerous**

"Haha. You kissed me."

"I already told you, no need to pride yourself on it. I was hungry, so shut up and just leave it be!"

"That doesn't change the fact that you kissed me, cowboy."

He kept silent, for he knew very well that nothing he could say would prevent her from teasing him. And she did a very good job at that.

"It wasn't such a great kiss, though. From which I've heard, I'd have said you could do better than that."

He didn't have to look at her to know that she was smirking in the most annoying and provoking way she was able to. So he kept his gaze fixed on their way … that means, the endless sand surface surrounding them, to not be tempted to look up at her face. She sat in front of him as they were once more riding their new scaly friend.

"Hmm … Yah, I really think it's right to say it was actually the worst kiss I've ever gotten."

He groaned in despair, forgetting about his resolution to say nothing more. "I told ya a thousand times, I was hungry!"

She chuckled. "You're just so funny, cowboy! If I'd known I could make you kiss me just by withholding you food, I'd done that much earlier. Although …" She pondered a bit, then grinned at him innocently, "… I don't know. Perhaps I wouldn't have done it if I'd known I'd get the worst kiss of my life."

He face-palmed and rolled his eyes. Really, that annoying redhead was driving him crazy!

"Is 'kiss' even the right term? It was more of an attack than an actual kiss …"

"Could you _please_ shut up?" he hissed. His patience was pretty worn out, and his stomach was growling again, which wasn't really contributing to his better mood.

She turned around, smirking mischievously and looking at him with hooded eyes, shadowed by her hair. "I think you owe me one for that. As long as you won't compensate for it with another, _better_ one."

"The hell I'll do!" he yelled and resisted the urge to just throw her off – or jump off himself and run away. But with his odd kind of luck, the lizard probably would stop moving with her on the ground – or run after him because she told him. The animal apparently had a thing for her, he couldn't tell why. She was the most annoying girl in the world, that was for sure, and if he had the power to decide it, he could just leave her and go on alone.

Wait. He actually had the power to do that, hadn't he? So why didn't he –

"Uh, hey, I think that's a town!"

Out of all her continuous talking; this, indeed, managed to get his attention. "What? A town?" He looked up and past her waist only to find her saying confirmed. A small spot in the distance, but at least it was something that could go for a town.

"Is this Yuba?" he asked, more at himself than at her, but she obviously felt the urge to reply.

"Sorry cowboy, but my clairvoyant abilities are on summer vacation."

He rolled his eyes once more, but now his excitement was roused. There it was, his chance to get away from her, get away from that disloyal stupid animal and the sand, at least for a while, and perhaps he could trick her and leave her behind so she couldn't follow him anymore … He grinned maliciously.

"What's with that stupid face?" He looked up and straight into her questioning eyes.

"Nothing. Just dreaming."

She turned around again, but the smile didn't escape him. He didn't know why he even noticed something like this, it was just an annoying stupid smile on her annoying stupid face, for God's sake!

* * *

"Yuba?" The huge man laughed heartily after he had eyed the lizard waddling behind them. "This is not Yuba, lil' fella. This is Ido, and Yuba is yet a bit from here!"

"Ido?" Ace asked and scratched his head, looking quite discontented.

"Yeah. All travellers from Erumalu have to pass this town. At least, if they take the normal route. But lastly, there haven't been any … it's a pity," the man explained, tousling his own mane as he went on. "You're the first ones since about two years!"

"Mh," Ace said while following the guy inside, through the city gates. The town was surrounded by a large wall that seemed pretty impassable, as if it was a fortress.

"So will we be able to rent a room for a night or two?" Yami, who was walking behind them, asked politely, and the man turned around with a large grin.

"Of course! Our hotel's over here, should I show you?"

Before Ace could interrupt, Yami had already agreed, and the silky smile she showed the man almost got him gagging. She was so good at kissing ass, just why did she have to be so exasperating to him? What was he doing wrong?

He frowned while following the man and Yami to the town's centre, where he showed them a surprisingly nice-looking little hotel and left them with best wishes.

"I wonder why he's that cheerful when his country's burnt to ashes just now …" Yami muttered as she pushed the hotel's door open. She had told the lizard to walk around but stay in the town so that they could find him.

"What's so wrong with being optimistic?"

She just smiled thoughtfully but said nothing more. They went to the reception where she ordered a double bedroom … _Wait, what?_

"No way I'm sleeping in the same room with you!" he exclaimed determinedly.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Would you rather like a full-size bed?"

"No way!" he yelled angrily. "Nothing of the sort! I want my own room!"

Yami sighed and rolled her eyes, while the female receptionist just stared at them in astonishment. "Listen, cowboy. Luffy and the others could arrive every minute. Why should we pay for two rooms if we probably won't even have to actually spend the night in there?"

"But …"

"It costs twice as much. Do you want to pay for it, huh?"

He sighed. "Okay. But you better not start anything …"

She put it off with a casual wink of her hand. "Whatever."

_As if she'd never do that!_

Growling angrily, he went after her, to their room. _Their_ room. God, after sleeping next to her for two times already, couldn't he just have a little privacy for once? What was that odd quirk of fate that always got him in these situations?

"It's nice," he heard her say as he followed her inside the room and looked around. It was little, but it was okay, and the most important thing was that the two beds stood to the room's each sides. Perhaps it wasn't that bad after all … He closed the door behind him and tried to ignore the feeling of being trapped in a prison with a dangerous predator.

"Oh, by the way," Yami suddenly spoke up, and Ace raised his eyes at her, "the guy babbled something about a small regiment of the Rebel Army being stationed here at the moment."

"_What?_" Ace exclaimed, completely baffled. "Why didn't I overhear that?"

"Don't ask _me_ why _you_ didn't listen," Yami said and raised her brows. "He said, the leader's name was Kamyu, and they were currently at the Major's place. Perhaps we should examine them, don't you think?"

"Yeah, right."

She yawned and stretched her arms over her head, then she ripped the black cloak off her body. "Damn, that's good. I'll take a bath, at least three hours …"

"Good idea. You smell."

"Says the guy who hasn't washed for weeks."

"Now that's _your _theory."

He didn't see it coming. There was no reason for it. In one moment, she was standing next to the bed where she had placed her bag onto, with her arms behind her head, and the next thing he knew was that she jumped at him with (seemingly) light speed, using her shadow powers, and then violently collided with him, crashing them both against the wall.

"Oww, what the –" He tried to escape, but there was no way. Her hands grabbing his shoulders and pressing him further into the wall, he couldn't move, as if she had some kind of super strength all of a sudden.

She kept her face hidden as he scowled down at her, her hair shielding it from his furious gaze. "What the hell, psycho? What are you doing? Leave me alone!" he scolded, but when she finally lifted her face, his eyes widened.

She wore that one expression that told him she'd eat him now, the most evil smirk in her repertoire, combined with her bright eyes shooting sparks at him. It made him shudder.

_Dangerous_.

"Relax," she breathed, barely audible, and a violent shiver raced down his spine at hearing it. But how should he relax when that psycho girl was so close, capturing him with her bare hands? Just how? When he felt almost every inch of her body, pressing into him with such force, with her hands at his shoulders, slowly shifting down the clothed skin of his arms? Really, how should any man relax with that?

"Y-you …" he muttered but stopped because he didn't know what he wanted to say. He just stared at her, at that dangerous face, coming closer with every beat of his heart against his chest, dangerously close. Her hands, meanwhile, caressed the skin on his arms under his cloak, up and down, before they came to a halt at his shoulders again and removed the piece of cloth. Agonizingly slow, it slid down his shoulders to flutter down his arms and gather in a heap on the wooden floor.

He couldn't do anything but gape and stare at her.

"You owe me," she whispered, still smirking up at him. Now she really was the predator, ready to eat him alive, lock, stock and barrel, and damn him if he didn't know how to move anymore, but that was exactly how he felt. Fascination overwhelming him, he couldn't even lift an arm to push her away, let alone struggle to free himself from that body that pinned him down at the wall so deliciously – uh, dangerously.

"I don't." He took what was left of his strength to contradict her, it was almost a reflex of his mouth and vocal organ, something he had gotten used to. And he cursed his voice for sounding so damn raspy and hoarse.

She chuckled, a slight tremor that made her whole body tremble, or so it felt for him as it was still pressed up against his. And at that moment, without even realising, he decided to love that feeling that jumped over the boundary between their bodies, making him quiver as well.

"Yes you do," she replied and her body shifted, he could feel it, he could feel everything. She tiptoed slowly to get on the same level, her hair tickling his face in the process as she moved her face past his neck to whisper in his ear: "You owe me a kiss."

He went rigid and closed his eyes. Damn, was she serious? That had been a trick, a stupid strategy that somehow really had functioned, a kind of a prank he had pulled off because he had been hungry and couldn't think straight at that time. Of course she would understand that …?

He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, ready to tell her exactly what he thought about the matter, when he gasped involuntarily at how close her face was. Azure eyes staring at him, almost shining in the relative darkness of the room, her dark red lips gaping ever so slightly, moving closer and closer to his.

_Will she really …?_

He wanted to tell her to stop, to command her to do so, but it was as if he had lost his tongue. He couldn't move it, he was paralysed. That was how a fly must feel when caught in a spider's web, paralysed by its poison and motionless in front of it, fear washing all over, so helplessly watching as its chaser approached more and more, ready to kill the prey, the defenceless victim.

He felt her stretching, her hands reaching for his shoulders for support as she moved closer, always looking up at him and hypnotising him with her eyes. He felt her breath on his face, warm and comfortable – uh, dangerous, and couldn't help slowly closing his eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

She was almost there, he knew it. The feeling of her breath finally focused on his lips, getting warmer and warmer with her every exhalation, and after what seemed like an eternity, it almost made him go crazy. He couldn't bear that anymore, pleasant – uh, dangerous anticipation or not, something had to be done, and it had to be done quickly.

He forced his eyes open. She had hers closed, looking incredibly – uh, somewhat, while her lips still gaped delicately, merely an inch away from his. One jerk of his head, and …

No, he couldn't do this, even if every single fibre of his whole body ached with the urge to do something. Just … something; this hold-up was so painful and useless and … thrilling … and dangerous …

"What now?" he breathed when he finally got his voice back, careful not to move his lips too much. He couldn't stand it anymore. The tension was growing with every second that passed, it was almost physically perceptible now. Someone of them should do something now, he should run away now, but he couldn't as his muscles obviously didn't feel the slightest inclination to obey the synapses that told them to _fucking move_.

He watched as her lips curled up into a smile, not moving an inch away from him. "Now … kiss me."

He really thought he had misheard her. "What?"

"I know you heard me," she whispered. "Kiss me."

"Why don't _you_ kiss _me_?" he whispered back, and even now, he heard that his voice was still hoarse and breathless – strange. He didn't know why she didn't just do it, it was what she wanted after all.

She chuckled, and again, he felt her body vibrate against him. "That would be stealing it, just like you did. You have to give it back by yourself, it's as simple as that."

He was baffled by her unbelievable logic. Really, it sounded just reasonable and serious. He stole it from her, and now he had to give it back. He owed her that kiss, and he should –

_Wait a moment. I'm starting to think just like her! That's so not true!_

"In your dreams!" he shouted as his mind came back to consciousness, grabbed whatever part of her body and shoved her away with all his force. She gaped at him before she realised she was flying through the room, transformed and landed before she could crash into the opposite wall.

She sighed and let her head droop. "Are you making that into a habit? Really, you should be more careful. If you're doing this with every girl who just wants you to kiss her, I wonder why you've had so many."

It was as if someone had just tipped a bucket of cold water right over his head, how could he have gotten so careless? Letting himself be caught completely off-guard and get fucking brainwashed by the moment! How could he? Just because she had a nice body didn't mean he had to succumb to her!

She didn't even seem angry, considered that he had just thrown her through half the room, and considered how she had reacted this and yesterday morning. She stood up from her half-kneeling position on the floor, brushing the dust off her clothes, and raised her eyebrows.

He had his fists clenched tightly at his sides while he was still standing with his back pressed up against the wall, panting heavily.

_Man, that was close. Don't get caught like this ever again, damn it!_

"For one moment, I thought you'd actually do it," she smiled. "Well, next time."

Yeah, he had thought so too. One more moment and God knows what he would have been able to do …

That made him – understandably – pissed, somehow.

"Don't try that _ever again!_" he hissed, his eyes almost burning with anger – literally. And he really didn't know at whom he was angry the most, actually. There was this crazy girl with all her damned craziness, taking him by surprise, tricking him in the most evil way, and there was him, knowing her freakin' unpredictability and persistence and yet letting himself be tricked by her, as if he were an idiot.

_Un-for-givable. Damn it!_

"Man, you're acting like I've tried to hurt you," she pouted. "All I wanted was a kiss. And I still want it. Pay me back."

"No will do," he uttered between gritted teeth and finally managed to break away from the wall that seemed to hold him with an iron grip, just like her. "You could just as well forget it, damn nuisance." And with that, he went straight to the bathroom.

"Haha, nuisance. I haven't heard that for quite a time," she chuckled with her hand covering her mouth, as if she were some kind of a _lady_ or something. Then, she seemed to notice where he was going. "Hey, what's that gonna be?"

"I'll take a shower, and don't you dare stopping me!" He almost yelled at her, which made him curse at himself for losing his temper. That didn't happen often, but lastly, he felt like hopping mad all the time, non-stop. That sure wasn't very healthy. And it was all her fault, without exception.

"Heeey! I said I'm going first!" she said with a pout that actually looked rather cute. She always looked cute when she did that.

No, she didn't. She just looked damn annoying to him. Always.

"You said nothing like that, and now leave me alone!" he shouted and slammed the door shut behind his back.

Inside, he took a deep breath. He really shouldn't let himself be carried away so easily. Neither in terms of seduction, nor of rage. And instead of burning something down (which he _really_ wanted now), he forced himself to stay calm and take his clothes off to get ready to take a shower.

And even her "I'm a shadow, you know, I could sneak in through the keyhole, watch out!" couldn't upset him anymore when he stepped into the shower with the hot water trickling down on his needy body, washing all the sand and anger away.

He just didn't know what to think of that girl.


	17. Glorious Rebels

**********Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 17: Glorious Rebels**

She let herself fall on her bed with a deep sigh. Her kiss initiative had almost been a success. Almost.

And then he had decided to go mad.

_Stupid cowboy._

He had been in the shower for nearly three-quarters of an hour now – she assumed that this meant no good. And when he had finally gotten out, he had stormed out of the bathroom, not deigning to look at her, and gone straight out of the room, mumbling something about getting something to eat.

Perhaps she should give him time. She knew it would work if she only tried hard enough. She knew it. He owed her that kiss, and she wanted it, just because. It wasn't like she needed it or something, not like sex. It was just a matter of principle. He owed her, and she would get it, sooner or later.

She wouldn't forget the way he had responded to her. Desiring. Trembling with it, almost. The tension had been everywhere, like he would explode every second, and there had been no other way than to enjoy it for as long as she could. She was sure he had been enjoying it, too. Even if he would rather rip his own tongue off than to admit it. He sure was one strange being. She wondered if she would come to understand him one day.

But on the other hand, it would make no sense at all. She wasn't here to understand him. She was here to … yeah, what? To complete her mission, so that she was one fully appreciated member of the Crappy-what's-their-name-again-Pirates? No way. She didn't even like them. She could just as well stay here and go with Luffy and his crew, help them saving Alabasta or something equally crazy, and be happy.

Yes, what was wrong with that? She liked the Straw Hats, she really liked them. She would be glad to help them out … if they wanted her. She was positive she could come to love them someday, if she stayed.

But she didn't know why – she just couldn't. It seemed too good to be true, those people were something special. They sure wouldn't appreciate her methods, and she didn't want to contaminate them.

She would just stay with stupid cowboy as long as she wanted, he was nice and funny company, and then, when it would become boring, she could disappear, like she always did. She was sure he wouldn't mind.

But she would get her kiss. She would. She knew it.

"Damn stupid cowboy," she pouted at nothing in particular, and decided to take her turn in the bathroom.

* * *

After her bath, she felt incredibly refreshed and ready to confront the cowboy about what happened. There was no way he would get away with this, no way!

She tied her hair up in a high ponytail and applied her obligatory lipstick before she went out of the apartment. The cowboy had his things with him, perhaps he thought of leaving? She decided to take hers as well and pay the rent, just in case they didn't return. She wasn't such a cheater like him when it came to paying. (Stealing, on the other hand, was something completely different.)

But where could he be? She asked the woman at the reception in the hotel, but she had only seen him leave and go to the left.

"So what's there? Where could he have gone to?" Yami asked.

"Umm, let me see …" the woman said thoughtfully. "There's the marketplace … the Mayor's place … the bathhouses …"

Yami sighed. "Okay. I'll go look for him, thank you."

No way was he at the bathhouses, he had taken a shower just an hour ago. So where could he possibly be?

_Wait … put yourself in idiot cowboy's shoes …_ she thought while exiting the hotel and turning left. _Where would you go if you were him?_

In the same second, she heard her stomach growl. "Damn, I should have asked for something to eat …" she mumbled to herself before stopping with a grin. "Hah! That's it! I bet he's hungry too, so he should be in some bar …"

So she went to the marketplace, hoping there were some bars around. But as Ido wasn't that big, the market was very small and open, so she could tell after a few minutes that he wasn't here. "The bars, huh?"

But then, just as she was about to go in the direction where she had seen a sign that promised a certain 'Rainbow Bar', she was stopped by something stepping in her way. "Huh, what the …?"

It was the lizard, blinking at her with his light yellow eyes. He looked as dumb as ever, but he stepped from one foot to the other, so she guessed he had to tell her something. She cocked her head, "Hey you, what's up? … Ohh, you want food?" She had completely forgotten about him, she had to admit with shame.

The lizard turned around, pointing with one useless thin arm. "Huh? You sure?" she asked, her gaze following his tiny fingers. He pointed at a huge house, rather a mansion, built in the typical style of the desert people, white with little decorations, but the architectural style itself was the decoration. "That must be the Mayor's place, what's up there?"

The lizard nodded hastily, waddling a few steps ahead and then turning around to see if she followed him. She shrugged and did as he wanted.

He led her into the building through a side entrance with no guards anywhere around. Obviously, Ido really wasn't that popular. Up some stairs, through a large hallway, and then the lizard stopped in front of a doorframe without door. She could hear voices from inside and smiled. "I still don't know where you led me to, but thanks, good boy," she whispered to her scaly friend and patted his head. He didn't react, but she believed she had seen a little spark in his dumb eyes. "Wait here."

She transformed and quickly entered the room, letting herself be attracted by the shadows in a corner in there, where she was close to invisible. Then she observed the scene.

There were three of the strangest-looking people she had ever – okay, that was an exaggeration. But they did look strange: one of them was small and round, wearing a green bobble cap, black glasses with a red frame, dark red boxing gloves, and colourful shirts. The other was rather tall and kind of lanky, blond with cords wrapped around his head and brown clothes, looking quite suspicious with his wry grin – and the weapons and ammunition belts. The third one looked like a sumo wrestler with a light blue and yellow-dotted kind of vest around his huge frame.

They were sitting around a table richly laid with all kinds of delicacies, and by seeing them Yami could feel her mouth watering. Roast turkey, fish, rice, at least three kinds of bread, cheese – what a feast!

But she could feel another presence that distracted her from enjoying the view too much. Confused, she looked into the other corner, and had to suppress a giggle. It was the cowboy, and he was standing there, casually leant against the wall where everybody could see him. But apparently, nobody did. He had his arms crossed and wore a deep frown, watching the three curious men in action.

Yami hadn't paid much attention to their talking, but as she saw him listening so gravely, she noticed their topic of conversation. And immediately got angry.

"If we're solid against the king and attack him with all our powers, then we're real rebels, right?" the little fat guy asked the blond.

_Real rebels? But what …?_

"We'll do nothing. We'll just leave this place if there's no more beer and food left," the blonde guy, apparently their leader, replied and ate a whole fish like others eat grapes.

_Disgusting!_ Yami seethed and clenched her shadow fists, meaning both their eating manners and their attitude. So this was the 'regiment of the Rebel Army'? How poor.

_I've heard enough_, she thought, walking towards the unsuspecting cowboy. _Let's beat them up!_

"Cowboy!" she hissed when she had reached him. He almost keeled over in shock. "Let's teach them a lesson!"

"What, you impossible brat! Don't you dare to do that again!" he hissed back as she transformed back.

She waved it off. "Don't you think we've got other problems now?"

"I don't see any," he answered, watching the 'rebels' eating.

"These guys are cheats! You really wanna let them get away with this?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She wouldn't have thought him so indifferent, like he didn't care at all. She wasn't Vivi, but this injustice freaked her out.

"The people believe them …" he started but was cut off by a loud cry.

"KAMYU! A CATASTROPHE!" A fourth man came running into the room. He was even larger than the sumo guy, wearing a white shirt with strange reddish armour above, and he had a symbol tattooed on his forehead under the black crew cut.

"Don't holler all about, I'm dining!" the blond said indignantly. "So, what's up?"

"Desert pirates!" the armour guy uttered frightened. "Desert pirates attacking!"

_Desert pirates?_ Yami mused. _Could it be …?_ She looked at her companion who wore a sly grin. Obviously he thought the same.

The three 'rebels' gasped in shock. "What should we do now?" the fat guy asked.

"We don't stand any chance against the desert pirates! They'll finish us off in no time!" the newcomer warned. "But on the other hand, we can't just drop everything and cut and run! Kamyu, what …" The three of them looked at their leader who was already done packing, a small bundle of food attached to his rifle, "… do you suggest?"

Kamyu rose to his feet and turned around, facing his comrades. "I'd say we cut and run."

"We should flee?" the three guys cried out. "What happens if we flee? What'll happen to us? Will we have to do real work?"

"Would be a nice variation," Yami growled quietly in their corner.

"Dumbass! No way! Just activate your brains! There are thousands of places like this one in Alabasta! Let's go!" he said and walked past them, to the door. Ace took the opportunity to get a free meal, walking to the abandoned table and sitting down. Yami struggled against herself, but the hungry side finally won, and she sat down next to him, digging into the food like she hadn't eaten something for days. It wasn't as good as Sanji's, but it was acceptable for a hungry stomach.

They heard a loud yelp as the 'rebels' wanted to exit the room but froze in their places instead. "What's _that_?" Kamyu asked incredulously.

Ace cocked his head, but Yami just chuckled, "I told the lizard to wait for me, don't you think we should give him a name?"

Ace looked at her as if she was insane. "The lizard? What's the lizard doing here?"

"He led me here." She grinned and tried a bit of turkey. "Man, I'm so hungry … I think I should get him something, too. I promised."

"Ah well," Ace sighed and ate on. "Let's teach them some manners. You're some heroes …", he then spoke up without turning away from the food, and they heard another gasp. "Call yourself rebels, but in reality you're just the world's biggest cowards."

"Yah, right," Yami chimed in. "You really make a weak impression, being four grown-up men. In your place, I'd give some thoughts about that."

Instantly, the four of them turned aggressive. "Who are you? That's none of your damn business! How did you guys even come in?" Armour Guy asked.

"Hands off! That's our chow!" Fat Guy agreed.

Yami rolled her eyes. Of course those idiots chose the wrong time to show some courage. The sumo guy wanted to grab her shoulder, but she just gave him a bored look before punching him in the face. He flew some metres away and ended up stuck in the wall. "Shadow-propelled punch," she explained to Ace who looked quite surprised, but grinned. He had already finished the other two off and turned back to his bowl of rice.

"Seconds!" he demanded, holding it out, and Kamyu took it with a small bow and nervous grin.

"A-hahaha, of course, my pleasure."

"The food is passable," Yami said just to tease him, but apparently they had scared the hell out of him.

"Thank you, milady. Glad to hear that."

"Hey, lizard! We really should give him a name," she told Ace who just shrugged. The animal came in, marvelled at by the blond, and Yami put some vegetables and bread on a plate and held it out for him. He grabbed it, sniffed at it, and buried his face in the food. Yami chuckled. "He's so cute!"

"Wha'ever," Ace mumbled with his mouth full of rice.

They ate on in silence with Kamyu eyeing the happily munching lizard and his injured comrades, trembling all over, before he finally fell to his knees next to Ace and made a deep bow. "I'm so sorry about that. Please forgive our impertinence, we'll never do it again!" He took a deep breath as the cowboy and Yami just continued eating. "Uhh … like you surely noticed … we stand no chance against the desert pirates. You're much stronger, please help us!"

Yami suppressed a giggle. It was funny to see the fake rebel kneeling and with his head almost touching the ground, when the much feared 'desert pirates' were just Luffy and the others. She knew exactly what the cowboy had in mind.

"Well … we could actually help you …" Ace said slowly. Yami grinned into her bowl. "On one condition."

Kamyu raised his head, seeming relieved to no end. "Please!" he begged. "We'll do whatever you want!"

* * *

"I still disagree," Yami grumbled once they were back on their way to meet the others. Behind them, on a pack frame, were large amounts of food and fresh water. "They're fooling the townspeople. That's not right."

"I know, but that's a deal they all benefit from. The townspeople live in peace because they think they're safe, the fake rebels live in peace because they're provided with food, and the pirates don't dare approaching the town because the term 'Rebel Army' scares them away."

"I know," she muttered. "But still, it's not right. If any danger came, they would just flee and leave the town at the mercy of some real desert pirates or other threats."

"So what do you want me to do, huh?" he asked her, slightly cross now.

Yami frowned and tightened her grip around his waist. "Let's leave that to Vivi."

"There they are!" he suddenly said and waved in their direction. "HEEEY!"

"Haha, I knew it was them," Yami chuckled and waved at them as well. "Heeey! Luffy!"

The little group stopped in surprise as they approached them. "Ace! Yami!" Luffy yelled and ran over to meet them. When the lizard stopped right in front of the straw hat-wearing boy, he grinned. "Who's that?"

"A friend of us," Yami said, hopping off his back.

"So I was right. You are the 'desert pirates'," Ace stated.

"Huh? Whaddaya say? We just said goodbye to them, Ace!" Luffy said confused.

"Ah? Never mind. Well, look over there. We brought you something you can really use now," he said, drawing his brother's attention to the pack frame filled with food.

"Oh wow!" Luffy yelped, and the rest of the crew was also very delighted.

"You're a star, Ace!" Usopp exclaimed, and Yami rolled her eyes at seeing his broad grin.

"Uhh, Ace?" Vivi asked calmly as the Straw Hats pitched into their new supplies, "You didn't steal that from the townspeople, did you?"

Yami chuckled. "No, calm down. The 'Rebel Army' gave it to us!" Ace snorted with laughter as they looked at each other. His anger had faded, as it seemed, and at this moment, she felt strangely at ease. It was like they completely understood each other, just by telling this insider joke. But that was maybe exaggerated.

"The Rebel Army?" Vivi yelled, and the others raised their heads by hearing that.

"Well, you know, basically they're just lousy little cheaters," Ace explained.

"Cheaters? How do you mean that?"

"They call themselves 'rebels' and act like the security force of the town. The people, of course, are very grateful and believe their every word. But in reality, they're tricksters."

Vivi's face grew more and more terrified while Ace explained the whole matter like he did to Yami on their way here. And, as expected, Vivi was horror-stricken and furious. "How dare they acting like rebels and tricking the people?"

Sanji suggested going there and teaching them a lesson, and Yami nodded. That was exactly what she'd do, too, if those were her people. But Ace told them his thoughts and why everything could be okay like this. Yes, he was right, but regardless, it felt wrong to just leave it like this. Finally, they agreed to sound them out and see if they just needed some manners – or a beat-up.


	18. So Long, Caterpillars!

**********Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 18: So long, Caterpillars!**

They decided as following: The Straw Hat Pirates would wait in front of the town gate, and Yami and Ace would do a little bit of research in the town to reveal their intentions and plans. It seemed like the two of them were already acknowledged as a team, which didn't really make the fire user happy. His mood was settled now, but that didn't mean he forgot about the incident earlier that day, or about his attitude towards her.

However, if they wanted them as a team, they could just as well work together. She was a shadow after all and well-suited for this kind of task.

It turned out to be even easier than that. They watched the people gather on the marketplace, wishing their 'rebels' luck, and positioned themselves behind the corner of a house, somewhere between the people and the gate, so that they would have to come past them.

"Haha! That's all so exciting! Like playing hide and seek!" she whispered with a grin.

Ace only rolled his eyes. "When exactly did Luffy's attitude get contagious?"

She laughed in response, but he quickly put his hand on her mouth. "Shhh!" he hissed.

"Mhh hmmm hm-mhh!"

"Shut up." How long had he dreamt of this? Perhaps he should do it more often. Even if it was kind of … disturbing. Yeah, disturbing to be so close to her. To touch her. He should rather keep safe distance, to not exactly invite it.

She giggled underneath his palm, as if it was the funniest thing she had ever experienced.

"Seriously, shut up now. They could arrive every moment, and you're acting like you're freakin' drunk."

"Mhm mmmmhh!"

He couldn't understand one word of her saying, but her sparkling eyes said it all. Her damn smirk, it was there already. In her eyes. He could see it.

With an annoyed sigh, he rolled his eyes and leaned at the wall behind them.

"Hmm mhmm?" She pointed at his hand still in place, but he just shook his head.

"You'd just talk and be annoying. I think I'll leave it at that … at least, until they passed us." This time, it was him who smirked, he had control and all, and she couldn't – "Crap!"

With one last smirk of her eyes, she transformed right underneath his hand, leaving nothing but air as she swirled around the corner in her shadow form. "Stay back here!" he hissed, but just as he wanted to run after her, he saw the objects of their attention walking straight in his direction. He only saw a shadow disappearing on the street's other side, and hurried to get back behind the house.

"… we'll look for the pirates and then dart off in the opposite direction. We don't have any other possibilities," he heard the blonde guy talk and pricked up his ears.

"Yeah, you're right there …" another of them stated.

Ace smirked. Well, that was an easy one. They just had to tell the others, and then it would become clear if they were helpful or just a burden for the town. His job was done.

"So that's it," Yami said, appearing right next to him. He didn't even wink this time, he had expected her to do that. "They're just a hunch of cowards." She sounded disgusted, and he couldn't even blame her.

"Just wait. Perhaps there is more to them than meets the eye."

"You're awfully optimistic, cowboy."

"Whatever," he said, a bit unnerved. "Go down and tell them."

"Aye, Sir!" she mock-saluted and, with one more smirk, she disappeared.

He sighed. This girl … he didn't really know how to deal with her. Every time he felt like he was superior, she managed to turn it around until she was the one towering over him, and that was the worst of all. Why, just why couldn't she be like any other girl he met? Like … admiring him … or, at least, be respectful. He was Whitebeard's Second Division Commander, after all! Nobody was allowed to treat him like this!

_Huh? Since when am I thinking such crap?_

He laughed sheepishly to himself, scratching his neck. Yeah, he sure was Whitebeard's Second Division Commander, but it wasn't like he was holy because of that. He didn't deserve a medal for it or something like that.

He just wasn't used to be treated like a jerk. Especially by a woman.

The big thing he forgot here was that all the other girls who _had_ admired him and _had_ treated him respectfully were now no more than vague figures in his memory. _She_, on the other hand, was the one whose name was etched upon it since their first encounter three years ago.

_Why didn't I just leave? … Ah, right. Damn you, Luffy. _

Sighing again, he made his way down to the town gate behind all the townspeople who were following the 'rebels'.

"Cowboy!" he heard her voice as he slipped out of the gate, unseen by the people (watching their 'saviours') and the 'rebels' (watching the Straw Hats standing all over the place and everywhere they turned to). Yami stood next to the gate, leaning at the wall, in her usual body, and watched the scene with a smirk. The lizard was standing next to her. "Come over, it's quite funny!" she told him. "See how scary Luffy's looking? And the others, too!"

Everybody's face was shadowed, they looked really creepy. Chopper was in his huge human form, and Luffy stood with his arms crossed, scaring the wannabe heroes to death.

The town's mayor, a little fat guy with a dark yellow turban, cheered them on by telling the pirates about their incredible strength, and how they would wipe them out, only earning an angry shout to shut up from the blonde guy.

"Scaredy-cats," Yami chuckled. "They're almost peeing themselves!"

"Yeah," Ace agreed. "Where are Nami and Vivi?"

"Over there, behind the rock. They're watching from the distance so as not to be recognised." She chuckled again, "hey, that's really amusing …"

Ace nodded. At the moment, it looked like she had been right and they only needed a good smacking. But he wanted to see how they would deal with this.

"Hey!" Luffy addressed them. "You really are rebels, aren't you?" He was playing his part very well, better than anyone had supposed. If the situation needed it, he could be serious.

The four men started shaking, tears of fear running from their faces. "Uhh, well, uhh …"

Ace decided they needed a bit of help. "Hey you jokes!" he shouted, and they looked around in confusion. Yami, beside him, trembled all over with her hand on her mouth. Obviously she had to hold back her laughing fit.

"Now's the time to fight!" he went on. "The ball's in your court! Try to get out of this!"

"That's impossible, we're not rebels," the blond whimpered. "We only pranked the people to get food …"

"As if we didn't know that," Yami said, chiming in his speech of encouragement. "Now listen, you super heroes. You're men, aren't you? Do you really wanna go on with that? That's ridiculous!"

"Uhh …" The blond looked as if he was deep in thought, at the same time bent in anticipation, like he wanted to run. Then, the four of them talked about something.

"Looks better, doesn't it?" Ace smirked.

"Just you wait," Yami said, not quite so ready to let them go.

"Listen!" the leader shouted as they had finished their talking. "I want to avoid needless bloodshed. We're not the only rebels, there are ten thousands more in the town, waiting for a sign! You're in for it!"

Yami sighed. "See?"

"TEN THOUSAND REBELS?" Luffy yelled, apparently very shocked.

Ace face-palmed, and Yami clutched the fabric of his cloak sleeve to bury her face in it, making stifled laughing noises. He looked at her with a frown but decided to let her do as she pleased – for the moment.

"DON'T YOU BELIEVE ONE WORD THAT IDIOT SAYS!" Usopp and Sanji yelled at their captain. "That's nothing more than a bluff!"

"What?!" Luffy shouted. "He lied?!"

"Sure as rain!"

"I hate lies!" Chopper threw in and wiped his forehead with his arm.

"Shut up!" Zoro growled at the reindeer.

"YOU DISGUSTING HUNCH OF CATERPILLARS!" Luffy yelled, now infuriated.

"_Caterpillars?_" Yami breathed wide-eyed and Ace tried to ignore it as she buried her face in his cloak once again. Actually, he thought this habit of hers very cute, how she tried to suppress her laughter by putting things on her mouth, but he sure as hell wouldn't let _that _come through.

"DON'T YOU DARE TO PULL MY LEG!" The 'rebels' flinched at the rubber boy's angry yell.

"Crap, he got it …" the blond stammered.

"You really thought _that_ would work?" another of them asked.

"I'LL KICK YOU ASS!" And with that, Luffy performed his Gomu Gomu no Pistol attack, punching Kamyu right in the face and sending him flying.

The other three guys watched with wide eyes as Luffy chuckled evilly and made his way up to them.

"What's he doing?" Yami asked and cocked her head. "Did he decide to finish them off? Right thing, if you ask my opinion."

"I don't ask your opinion, crazy girl."

She smiled at him. "You're so cute when you try to be pissed!" She turned to the lizard. "He is, isn't he?"

He huffed. "I don't _try_, I _am_."

"That's even cuter!" she giggled and pulled his arm in an embrace. Before he could say or do something, she pointed at the scenery in front of them. "Whoa, now look at that! He's stopping Luffy!"

He successfully kept himself from shoving her away, or, the other option, yell at her. But he also couldn't concentrate on what was happening there, not with the girl clinging on to his arm. Instead, he watched her out of the corner of his eyes, and almost smiled at the noises she made. "He … did he really … hey, he threw him away!" she squeaked. "Now that was his plan! Hahaha, do you see their faces?"

He flinched back as she grinned up at him. "You're not looking? Hey, that's better acting than I've ever seen!"

"Right," he muttered and fixed his gaze forward. The other 'rebels' also decided to fight and readied themselves to face the pirates who just stood there, grinning. "So I was right. There was more to them …"

"Yah, yah, you're the man," she teased and pulled at his sleeve like a child, "look over there, man. Vivi's sign."

"Let's goooo!" Usopp, who had also seen it, shouted, and at first everyone in the crew looked confused. Kamyu, at hearing this, made a statement: he wanted to defend the town and its inhabitants with all his power, and Luffy, sitting in front of him, started to laugh.

"Shishishi! That's what I wanted to hear! Now we can move on and kick that Crocodile's ass! That's how you should be, Kamyu …"

"Stop babbling! Let's go!" Sanji interrupted him and pulled him away, everybody else in tow. "Go guys, faster! Those rebels aren't persons to be trifled with!" he yelled extra loud.

"I've never seen such dangerous guys in all my life!" Usopp chimed in.

"How can you act up that much, that's ridiculous!" Zoro growled, running after them.

"Wait for meee!" Chopper yelled.

Kamyu stood and looked after them, totally confused.

"Let's go!" Yami said and pulled Ace with her towards the lizard who, in full speed, passed the blond with both of them on his back – uh, head. "Bye, caterpillars!" Yami shouted and waved back at him.

Ace grinned.

As they reached the Straw Hats, they were still running. They manoeuvred the lizard to their side. "Hey, Luffy!"

"Ah, Ace! Yami!" the boy exclaimed, giving them a grin.

"Nice show," Yami smirked.

"Why are you still running? They bought it!"

"You can never be careful enough," Zoro explained with Chopper sitting on his shoulders. "I'm trembling with fear, you know?"

Luffy let out a loud laugh, and they continued their way.


	19. Payback Time, Shadow Girl

**********Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 19: Payback Time, Shadow Girl**

The small group of pirates, plus the Alabastan princess, the camel and the lizard, were walking through the desert – again. There was still a bit of a way to Yuba, and Yami didn't know how long the cowboy was planning to stay with them.

She lay her head down on the lizard's, and smiled as his eyes turned around to look at her. "Good boy …" she purred and patted his shoulder, and the animal nodded softly. She knew by now that he couldn't make any sounds, let alone talk, which was strange but okay. Ace was walking for a change, and once again she cursed him for being so completely not-affected by the heat and the sun and that obstacle the sand was.

Yami watched with a grin as Luffy and Usopp almost started a fight about a water bottle, which was completely useless because a) they had enough water, thanks to the nice Ido rebels, and b) their fight only caused more of the precious liquid to be spilt.

Sanji frowned at his childish crewmate and captain, pulled out a water hose himself and ran to Nami and Vivi, offering it with hearts all around his shape. "Nami, Vivi! Are you thirsty?" Then he turned to the end of their little procession. "I'll get to you in a second, Yami-san …"

She chuckled as Luffy disagreed and ran up to Sanji to grab the bottle. "Hey, hands off! Are you crazy?" the cook yelled madly, and Usopp screamed at them both for spilling it all as they struggled to keep/get the water. Soon, a fight was in full play, the water amidst it all.

"Hey, go on, I'm right back," Yami told the lizard and propelled herself (shadow form) at the three fighters. She transformed back as she reached them, grabbed the water bottle out of Sanji's outstretched hand and was off in less than one second. They didn't even notice what was going on, as Sanji obviously thought the bottle was in Luffy's or Usopp's possession now and continued to hit them.

"Whoa …" Nami stated wide-eyed, staring at the red-haired girl.

Meanwhile, Yami was back next to the lizard and examined the water hose. Half of the water had been spilt. "Idiots," she mumbled and shook her head. "Even if we have enough now, there's no need to waste it."

"That's just how he is," Ace commented from behind, and she turned around.

"Huh?"

It had been a while since he had last talked to her. She had thought he was still angry and just left him with his thoughts, for the moment satisfied with her nice one-way conversation with the lizard.

"That's how Luffy is," he repeated, and she saw a smile creep upon his face. "And it seems like he found himself matching friends …"

She watched as Luffy ran away with another water hose, which was completely empty, but neither Sanji nor Usopp seemed to take any notice as they chased him around their group multiple times. "Now that's energy wasting," Yami sighed and took a sip of her theft, offering it to the lizard. "Want some?"

He nodded enthusiastically and grabbed the hose with his tiny hands.

"Hey, not all of it!" she scolded when he overdid it with drinking, taking the water back and turning to Ace (who, seemingly, was willing to talk to her again). "Want some too?"

He gave her a disgusted look. "You want me to drink from it when that … thing here just had it?"

"Hey!" she pouted. "Nothing against Lizzie!"

"Lizzie? I thought it was a boy?"

"Yeah, well …" she tried to find an explanation, "… it's a boy with a girlish name, okay? To confuse enemies."

He burst out into laughter. She frowned at first, but then decided it was good to see him laugh again, and smiled crookedly.

"Ah, besides, the odds are about fifty percent that it's a girl, so …" she said with an 'I can't help it' gesture.

"I understand," he grinned.

"So, want some water or not?" She offered him the bottle again, and after eyeing it sniffily, he took it.

"Huh? What's that? Looks strange!" they heard Luffy's voice and turned in his direction, only to look back at each other's face and sigh in unison.

"Do you think it's …?"

"Yeah …"

It was a curved, dark brownish red thing with a sharp end, sitting on a ball-like, equally coloured link. It moved around like it wanted to scrutinise its environment, and Luffy took a scattered branch (_How does a branch get into the middle of a desert?_) and poked it, evoking a metallic sound. "Who are you?" he asked the thing. "Go, tell me!"

"Uhh, Luffy …" Ace said, but that was the moment the scorpion thought right for appearing out of the sand – with Luffy now standing on top of it.

"Guwaaaaaaaa!" Usopp screeched.

"Oh, wow!" Luffy shouted in delight as the scorpion aimed at him with its sting.

"Luffy, get down!" Yami yelled at him, but Zoro, Sanji and one resurrected Chopper were already taking care of the matter. With blades, boots and sheer strength, as well as the powers of the Gomu Gomu no Mi, the creature was defeated in no time, and Usopp all the while danced around in front of Yami and Ace like mad, screaming in fear.

"That's another way," Yami remarked, and Ace nodded. "Next one's mine."

He looked at her in surprise, and she couldn't blame him. Until now, she had let him or the others handle all the desert dangers, just like Nami and Vivi (and Usopp), who weren't that much of a fighter, even if she knew that at least Nami and Usopp could be if only they wanted, or the situation required it.

"Yah, I know. I think I should be useful for once," she smirked as she met his gaze.

"Damn right, little one," he smirked back, which earned him a nudging with her elbow.

"Don't call me little!"

"But you are smaller than me," he chuckled.

"So what? I can be bigger!" She immediately transformed and grew about three metres high, saying "How about that?"

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, staring at her. "You can _talk_ like that?"

"Of course," she said and shrunk back into her normal form, smirking up at him. "So don't call me little again."

"Awww, you're too cute as a couple!" they heard someone burst out, and turned as one, meeting one suddenly very nervous Usopp's gaze. "Uh, I mean …"

But he didn't get to finish his sentence as Ace already took up the chase. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"

Yami only burst out into laughter, supporting herself at Lizzie's shoulder who just gave her a dumb glance. "They're just too funny, don't you think?"

* * *

"Nami-swan! Look what I've got!" Sanji exclaimed, running to his two ladies with one claw of the scorpion they had just defeated and, with a bit of help of Mister Bonfire, grilled. He had already supplied _his Yami-darling_ with food.

With a giggle, Yami watched as the two girls started to scream.

Usopp and Luffy, meanwhile, had a fight about the best parts of the scorpion's meat, but as the rubber boy got to know it was a scorpion and not a lobster, he lost his appetite (_is that even physically possible?_)

"COULD YOU STOP THAT NONSENSE?" Nami yelled at them while hurrying the camel on. Vivi seemed still terrified.

"Huh? What's up with her?" Luffy asked confused.

"Dunno," the whole main part of the group answered in unison.

Yami just grinned and mounted her new pet, whom she had just fed a bit of the 'lobster' meat. "Let's go, Lizzie! After the camel!"

"Lizzie? I thought it was a boy?" Usopp asked, scratching his turban-clad head.

"It's because of confusing enemies," Ace informed him.

"I understand …"

"Come on, you snails! Or, should I rather say, caterpillars?" And while Yami laughed her head off, the boys grumbled around, finally getting in motion and coming after them.

"Snails, huh?" Ace said as he suddenly jumped on Lizzie's back and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. The lizard flinched at the sudden extra weight.

"You scared him! Shame on you, cowboy!" she scolded him and reassuringly patted Lizzie's scaly head. "Everything's okay, little boy, everything's alright …"

"You know you're talking to a lizard, right?"

"He understands me! You do, don't you?" she asked the animal, who just turned his eyes in her direction. "See? He looks at me."

"The pure fact that he's looking when you're talking doesn't say he understands you."

"I know he does, stop being stupid," she said, frowning down at him but squeaked as she was suddenly pinched in the side. "Eeeek! Stop that!"

* * *

"You're ticklish! I found your sore spot!" he called triumphantly, and did it again.

"Eeeeeeek!" she screeched, half-laughing, and tried to elbow him from above, but she had no chance. He just ducked down and continued with his occupation, ignoring the elbows and kicks she gave automatically, as well as her screams and laughs. Instead, he grinned in his most mischievous way, concentrating on his task as his fingers did their work at her waist. Perhaps that was the right way to silence her?

_Uh, no, _silence_ might be the wrong word._

"Stop that you – ahahahaha! Stop! I said, stop it!" she screamed in a high pitch as she couldn't hold back but struggled and writhed while kicking her legs and arms to all possible sides. She couldn't even keep herself from kicking poor Lizzie.

"Regret all you've done!" Ace giggled. "This is revenge …"

"Re-ahaha! Revenge my ahahahass!"

Finally, she toppled over backwards as Lizzie came to a sudden halt, clearly annoyed by the violent happenings on his back. She fell right into Ace, who caught her instinctively and had to stop the tickling attack for the sake of not falling to the ground. "Hey, watch out!"

She turned her head to an almost uncomfortable angle, and by seeing his evil grin, cried out. "Aaaaah! Now leave that off! Let me go, damned – eeeeek!"

He just couldn't help it, it was so tempting. Having her all squirming and wriggling, helpless in his arms, the usually so bold and fearless girl, gave him satisfaction deep inside. He was the one in control, controlling her, and it felt so good.

"They sure make a cute couple, don't you think, Chopper?"

"So hoooot …" (The fact that the little reindeer sounded rather unenthusiastic was due to his referring to the temperature rather than Yami and Ace.)

He stopped immediately, torn out of his giggling haze, and narrowed his eyes. Yami took that chance and struggled to get away from him, breathless and panting heavily, while Ace's face slowly turned into a deep scowl.

"Don't you dare doing that again! My payback will be terrible!" Yami announced, climbing on Lizzie's head and eyeing him from above with a pout while still trying to kick him.

Ace ignored her. He just looked in Usopp's direction, and before the curly long-nosed boy could run away, he was already chased after.

* * *

Yami rolled her eyes and climbed back to her previous position now that the immediate threat was gone, and apologised to the lizard for having kicked him. The animal, once more, turned his eyes towards her, and she fed him with a banana from their luggage.

She smiled at her colourful friend before watching Ace chasing Usopp several times around their group. Luffy had joined them just because he thought it was fun – _really, I want to have that strange kind of stamina that seems to be normal in that family_ –, and she saw Nami rolling her eyes at the stupid behaviour of her captain. Yami chuckled and told Lizzie to catch up with the camel, to have a little conversation with the girls.

"Seriously, Vivi, one more day like that and I'll freak out!"

Yami grinned. "Ne, Nami …" she said as she rode up beside them, and two pairs of eyes turned towards her, "Don't you think it's cute?"

"Cute?" Nami asked, utterly bewildered. "What's so cute about just being stupid?" Vivi chuckled with her hand politely held in front of her mouth.

"Don't you think?" Yami asked thoughtfully. "Well, I think you do."

And she knew that she was bang on target when the orange-haired girl blushed furiously under the white hood of her cloak. "What makes you say that?" she hissed and showed her death glare, including the shark teeth.

Yami, however, was not impressed by that. She smirked silently as she watched how Luffy propelled himself on Usopp who crashed into the sand, and how Ace tripped over them and joined their little heap on the ground. In one moment, a fight broke loose between the two brothers, and Usopp managed to get out of it without either of them noticing.

"Uh, perhaps the fact that you and he went missing when we were par–"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" she was cut off by a crimson navigator. "I don't know what you're talking about!" Nami glared at her like she really wanted to say: _stop talking or I'll have you beaten up_. Vivi, behind her, looked confused between the furious and highly embarrassed navigator and the chuckling lizard-riding redhead.

"You know, Nami," Yami continued, not at all impressed by the threatening behaviour of her interlocutress, "If you want him to kiss you, just refuse him his food. Or attract him with it, I think it's the same, if you keep him starving and wave with a piece of meat, he'll do everything …"

"STOP TALKING BULLSHIT!" Nami screamed, and several of her crewmates turned around at them, eyebrows raised in curiosity. Luffy and Ace, however, were still an intertwined heap on the ground, but nevertheless, it made Nami lower her voice to a murmur. "Stop talking! I don't know what you mean!"

"If he is like his brother, I think he'll do that," Yami just went on and gave her a pensive look. "And I think he's worse than our little cowboy."

Nami slapped her hands over her crimson face. "Stop it! Stop it!" she muttered between her fingers.

Vivi still looked confused, _really, how naïve is she? Didn't she notice?_

Yami grinned. "Cowboy only kissed me. But rubber boy, huh, God knows what he would do for just a piece of meat …"

"Huh?" the two girls said in unison, and Nami withdrew her hands from her face. "What do you mean, he kissed you?"

"Well, it wasn't really a kiss. More an attack …"

"Attack?"

"Like I said," Yami only smiled mysteriously. "Just try to withdraw his food, and leave the rest to him. Just a little piece of advice …"

"I don't know what you're talking about! And I don't care!" Nami yelled as she chuckled and winked at her before falling behind. But just as she propped her head up on Lizzie's and made herself comfortable, Nami turned around again, still flushed bright red but trying to ignore it. "Just in case you want to make yourself useful. Would you mind stopping these two idiots from wasting energy?"

Yami smirked and transformed straight away, launching at the two fighting cocks before jumping at the two brothers, giving each of them a punch in the head, like she had seen it with Nami several times already.

"Like this, Nami-san?" she asked with a little mischievous smirk, and the navigator gave her a silent thumbs-up without turning.

Luffy and Ace, meanwhile, sat there rubbing their heads and staring up at her as she towered over them. "WHY'D YOU DO THAT?" they shouted in unison, and she casually shrugged, pointing over her shoulder at the camel with the two girls.

"Nami told me so."

"Know what?" Ace said, cocking his head and looking at his brother in a semi-evil way, "Should we pay her back? What'd ya think?"

"Shishi! Okay!" the rubber boy laughed, and in an instant, they were both on their feet, glaring at the shadow girl who looked wide-eyed at the combined forces of rubber and fire now towering over _her_.

She held her hands out in defence, sweat beading on her temples. "Uhh, boys, this is just a bad misunderstanding …"

"REVENGE!" they yelled as they dashed at her, hands outstretched to tickle her to death.

"EEEEEEK!" She ran for her life – useless, if one of your pursuers was made of rubber and could just stretch his arm to grab for you. "SANJIIIIIIIIIII …"

"Yami-san, I'm right here! I'll save you …!"

* * *

**Author's note: **I fell in love with the idea of Yami's sore spot being the fact that she's ticklish, hehe … What do you think?


	20. Sleepless Nights

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 20: Sleepless Nights**

When the night was near and the temperatures sank rapidly, they camped near a rock formation. It promised shelter for the night, just in case another sandstorm came down on them, and fortunately, they also had tents because Ace, as a matter of prudence, had demanded them of Kamyu. Now they came in handy.

Yami seriously contemplated just huddling against Lizzie in the night for warmth. She would prefer Ace, of course, but she didn't really know if he would like it that much.

When they all went to sleep after a rather short dinner, for they were all exhausted by the day's walk and the sun and everything, however, she found that Lizzie didn't like her cuddling at all. Every time she believed him sleeping and approached him, he would just stand up, go some steps, move over and lie down again, curled up into a tight ball. And after they had repeated this procedure about five times, Yami gave up.

Sighing, she sat up and frowned at her scaly friend. The girls hadn't wanted him in the tent, so she had slept outside with him – that means, tried to sleep.

Giving the lizard one last scowl, she stood up and brushed the omnipresent sand off her clothes. Of course she had slept (tried to sleep) fully clothed, plus another layer of extra clothes and the cloak. But what would have been mortally hot only some hours earlier didn't suffice now to keep the cold out. Even the sand, the usual sun-hot sand that almost burned their skin in the day, was icy now and didn't contribute to any sense of comfort for the poor shadow girl who only wanted to get a bit of sleep and rest as long as she could, for she knew that as soon as the sun rose in the morning, they would continue their way. And if she wanted enough energy, she should sleep now.

_Haha. Easier said than done. _

She went to the boys' tent, pondering about whether she should enter or not, but then remembered she hadn't seen him going in there and he would probably prefer sleeping outside, since he didn't mind the temperature. Smiling at the mumbles from in there – "Melloriiine …" "Meeeaaat …" –, she turned around and made a few steps away from the tents and the dying campfire, looking into the distance. The moon was shining bright, but since she had eaten her Devil Fruit, she had never had problems with seeing in the dark anyway. And so she spotted her favourite cowboy, the object of her search, in an instant. He was sitting on the sandy ground, leant on one of the basement rocks, with his head lowered, so that his silly hat covered most of it.

As she approached him, she first thought he was sleeping, but when he heard her steps in the sand, he lifted his head to look at her.

He let out a sigh. "I knew it."

"I can't sleep," she told him and felt really dumb and childish in doing so. "It's cold."

"What about your little pet?" he asked, but his smile betrayed that he already knew. He wasn't blind, after all.

"He won't let me." She sat down next to him and pulled her knees to her chest, giving him a glance from the side. He just stared at where the fire had already gone out, saying nothing, but the silence only lasted a few minutes.

He sighed again. "Okay, whatever."

She smiled and lay down next to him, her head in his lap, and yawned.

* * *

Ace, however, froze. "Uhh … perhaps that's not such a good idea," he told her. The memory of how they had woken up this and last morning was still fresh in his mind, and especially this promising position was nothing to be recommended, not until he really wanted to repeat it.

She shifted, and he gritted his teeth so as not to get distracted by the small weight of her head so near to his … manhood.

"What?" she asked, lifting her head, and looked up at him.

"Don't sleep like that."

"Why not? It's comfy …" she said but trailed off mid-sentence. Then, a little smile found its way to her lips as she stared up at him, "Oh."

He frowned and tried to pull her up, away from the dangerous realms of his lap. "I just want to lie down too, that's all!"

"Yah, of course you do," she said, and the growing smirk was easily perceptible from her voice. "And the fact that you're a man doesn't have a single thing to do with it, right?"

How did she manage to destroy every moment he was inclined, just one bit, to like her? Just how?

"That's not it!" he tried to assure her, but her mind was already working.

"And, as a man, you've got that one specific morning problem, right?" she persisted, and he would have loved nothing better than to face-palm. This was exactly what he didn't want her to know.

"Oh …" she uttered, and he could see her eyes go wide in realisation, glistening in the moonlight. Slowly, she turned her head to fully look at him, grinning like Luffy. "You know," she slowly started, "next time you wake up like this, don't throw me away, okay?"

_Argh!_

"That has nothing to do with it!" he growled, but it was too late now, and he knew that. She waved it off with a wink of her hand, still grinning, like she wanted to say: "Yah, whatever, talk as much as you like, I psyched you."

He clenched his fists in annoyance. He knew he was blushing, but fortunately, it was night and she couldn't see it. Still sitting, he frowned at where he could locate her face in the moonlight.

After a while, he heard her make a small noise, somewhere in-between a sigh and a laugh. "Anyway, cowboy. That's not such a great deal. So please stop throwing me away next time, okay?"

"There won't be a next time!" he growled and crossed his arms, refusing to look at her face as she huddled up against his side, her legs pulled to her chest. "There won't be, because I won't sleep with you ever again!"

"Aww," she uttered, and he could almost see her pout. "You didn't even sleep with me …"

"You know what I meant, so stop being stupid!" He almost raised his voice in annoyance, forgetting about the others sleeping. He would have liked to break away from her right now, she was sooo close, that was definitely too much, way too much, and somehow, she seemed to sense that.

For a few moments, she kept silent. Then, slowly, she said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

And as he was momentarily completely speechless, she nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder. "Please stay and keep me warm."

He snorted, but felt his anger fading away. "Yeah, right. I'm just a tool to you …"

"You're my heater, what's so bad about that?" she said with a grin in her voice.

He smiled involuntarily, and in a spur-of-the-moment decision, he put his arm around her smaller frame and pulled her against him. "Okay. Happy now?"

"Very," she replied, snuggled up against him and let one of her arms rest across his stomach.

Ace tilted his head back until he could see the stars, and sighed. "Why am I doing this again?" he asked without really wanting an answer.

Yami, nevertheless, gave him one as she chuckled deep in her throat, "Because you're nice, because you like me incredibly much …"

"Laughing my head off," he stated dryly.

"You're so warm …" she stated rather incoherently.

He grimaced slightly, trying to ignore the slight shiver that befell him at her words. "Tell me something I don't know …"

She chuckled. "My favourite colour is red."

"Huh?" he asked confused and turned his head a bit.

"You said I should tell you something you don't know."

"Very funny." The dryness in his voice could have drained the whole ocean.

"Is it?" she asked and moved her head on his shoulder.

"No, idiot."

"You're the idiot. I know irony when I see it …"

"You can't see irony, dumbass."

"Well, I can. If it's shadow irony. I can see every shadow in the world …" she babbled but started laughing when he, having had enough, decided to use his newfound knowledge about her vulnerability – namely, tickling her.

"Aaah, stop that, idiot …" she giggled and tried to get his hands off, but he was not a bit inclined to do that. He just gave a small and very evil smirk as he continued, and she laughed so hard that she fell backwards, struggling to get him off, but it was pointless. He fell with her, supporting himself with one arm so as not to fall _onto_ her, and used his other hand to torture her in the most cruel way (to her), all the while smirking and chuckling maliciously.

"Aaah, stop, stop!" she laughed breathlessly, fighting against him and finally getting her knees up to kick him off.

"Hngh!" He fell to the side, down on the ground like a wet facecloth, holding his stomach for two purposes; firstly, because she had kicked him, and secondly, because he laughed so hard it almost hurt.

Yami scrambled away from him quickly before sitting a few metres ahead, scowling back at him and rubbing her sides. "Ah! I hate you!"

He just laughed. "Didn't I just hear you say you liked me?"

"Not anymore!" she pouted. "You're a jerk!"

Taking a deep breath to calm down again, he stretched himself out in the sand, stretching out both arms as well. He was a bit out of breath, but she was even more. He heard her pant from where she sat, and assumed she scowled down at him, but all he could do was grin stupidly. He had finally found a method to pay her back, and that was totally worth it.

"I just wanted to sleep, not to die of laughing …" she grumbled.

Ace chuckled. "Well then, you should pay attention to whom you're about to call an idiot," he said. "Next time I'll run away and leave you to the cold …"

He heard her clench her teeth, and knew she did that because she wanted to prevent them from chattering, being reminded of the actual temperature. Nevertheless, she huffed. "Aww, how inc-c-cred-d-dibly sc-c-cary."

He chuckled again, reaching his arm out to her. "Come on, don't be a sorehead."

"I'm not …" she flared up, but realised it wouldn't take her anywhere. Instead, she restricted herself to another huff before she crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared into the darkness. Well, to her, it wasn't really darkness.

Ace still grinned. He felt superior in that moment, and he really enjoyed it. But he also knew to what it would finally boil down, and they'd better get it over with. "Yami …"

"What?" she growled, which made him grin wider.

"Come on. Let's sleep."

She remained silent for a moment, before he heard the small sounds of someone crawling through the sand.

"Promise you won't start tickling me." Her voice was closer now, and he turned his head in her direction.

"I promise." He sat up, propping himself up on one arm from behind, reaching the other one out. "I'm here …"

"I know where you are, id–" She stopped in the middle of the word and groaned as if she choked on it. She would have loved to say it again, but she had to accept he seemed to have more pull. In that moment, that is.

He let out a small laugh, "What was that, honey?"

She growled. "Since when did we change roles?" she asked grumpily, but came nearer until he could feel her presence next to him.

He narrowed his eyes to look at where her voice came from. He could locate her face somewhere up there, in the moonlight. "That doesn't suit you …" he said thoughtfully, and the grin suddenly left his face.

"Wha–?"

He could hear the slight surprise from her voice, and sighed, feeling like an idiot. "Never mind," he therefore put it off with a bit of annoyance that surprised him himself. "Come on already, I wanna sleep," he informed her and lay down again.

She sat still for a moment, then shifted and lay down next to him.

He hesitated. What was he supposed to do now? He could easily put an arm around her and stuff, like he had done two days ago. But, he could just as well turn around and leave it to her to get to her warmth …

She relieved him of that decision by laying her head on his arm still outstretched in the sand, and closed in.

Somehow, even she seemed hesitant – which made him feel weird. There was nothing to that, right? It was just the usual procedure, and surely she didn't find it strange, and neither did he. No, he didn't think it strange …

"You promised, right?" she half-whispered.

He could have laughed. Now that was why she was hesitant. "No, I just want to sleep, so be still."

"Ah." She shifted, came closer. He still lay on his back, staring up at the stars in the sky, while his arm wrapped itself around her shoulders on its own and pulled her towards him. He felt her hand wander over his bare chest under the unbuttoned cloak and finally coming to a halt on his stomach, while she nuzzled her face to his neck. He could feel her breath on his skin, and it was uncomfortable …

… very uncomfortable, because it felt good, somehow. He didn't want it to feel good.

_Damn, I'm probably that over-sensitive because I haven't had a girl for quite some time._

As if she could read his mind, slowly, she let her hand travel downwards, over his stomach, to the edge of his pants.

He gulped. This wasn't the right time … and neither was this the right _person_. "Stop."

She sighed and immediately withdrew her hand, and her breath tickled the sensitive skin of his neck, sending a little shiver down his spine. "Now why …?"

"Because."

She sighed again, curling up next to him. "What's wrong with you?" she asked grumpily, and her anger was easily perceptible. "Are you sure you're a man?"

His hand around her shoulder twitched. For one moment, he thought about just taking it away.

"Yeah, I really think so. But that doesn't mean I'm a sex maniac," he stated dryly. "Besides, didn't I hear you say you didn't want to do it in the sand?"

"Yah …" she sighed, laying her head down on his shoulder. "I'm desperate. Let's just get to a town …"

"Desperate?" he asked incredulously. "But … I'm not the only male in here, and yet you don't molest the others …"

"Are you crazy?" she asked back and gave him a light punch in the stomach. "I'm not a paedophile! Or a sodomist," she added, "and the only ones left would be Zoro and Sanji …" She laughed quietly. "Zoro still suspects me, and besides, he only loves his swords. Sanji would die of blood loss … Impossible."

"Then you can only hope that the next town'll come soon," he chuckled. It was strange to talk with her about sex when they lay in the sand, curled up against each other, just the two of them, and it was a bit dangerous, but he tried to ignore it.

"Besides," she yawned and nestled up to him. "I like you."

"Again?"

"Shut up, idiot."

Ace just smiled up at the stars, before sleep finally got the better of him.

* * *

**Author's note:** I always like these scenes … *sighs* And this time it's really role-reversed, haha^^


	21. A Gun Is Nothing To Play With

**Disclaimer:** Nope, I don't own it.

* * *

**Chapter 21:**** A Gun Is Nothing to Play With**

Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was his sleeping face. Black tresses disorderly hanging over his closed eyes, he seemed like a little boy with all those freckles and his slightly gaping mouth, and she smiled. She almost wanted to wake him with a kiss on the nose, it was too tempting, but on the other hand … she would feel like a goddamn lovestruck girlie in doing so.

And besides, she couldn't even move in the position they currently were in, because lying half on top of her while she was on her back, with his arm slumped over her shoulder and somehow cradling her, he almost smothered her while sleeping.

But somehow, she didn't care. She would have called his position 'protective', were it not for the fact that he was just _sleeping_ and couldn't control his actions a bit. If he were awake, he probably would scramble away on all fours. That mental image made her grin, and she decided to enjoy the silence a bit more. And the unbelievable not-being-thrown-away-through-half-the-desert feeling.

Blinking up at the sky, she noticed that the sun hadn't even gone up – which would account for the lack of heat, at least if the temperature in general was concerned. Where she lay, though, it was pretty warm. Dazzlingly warm, to be exact. In fact, Ace's body heat lulled her like a blanket, like the rare times when she had slept in a real bed and had the comfort of turning around one last time, snuggling deeply into her blanket. Now Ace was her blanket, and she would have loved wrapping herself up in him – but, obviously and as he was a man and not a piece of cloth, that, unfortunately, was impossible.

Sighing comfortably, she closed her eyes again and tilted her head more to the left, where he was. Pulling his cloak a bit over herself, she dozed off to a light sleep.

When the sun rose, however, all the comfort was gone away, and she couldn't even pretend to be asleep, because it blinded her through her eyelids. She scowled and turned to the side, her stirring only making Ace clutching her even more to him. She tried, she really tried to enjoy being held. When she went home with somebody in the night and woke up like this in the morning, she normally got claustrophobia, and got up to take a shower or just leave. This wasn't as bad, but still, she couldn't breathe. She knew he was strong and usually she was okay with it, but the way he held her was just too tight to breathe anymore.

"Wake up, cowboy," she said quietly (and out of breath), putting her hand on his clothed back and patting it lightly. When he didn't bother at all, she increased the patting. "Wake up, idiot, you're crushing me!"

His reaction to this was a groan deep in his throat, and he nuzzled his face further down to her collarbone. She sighed, feeling a bit panicky for the lack of air. "Do you really want me to kick you away like you always do with me?"

"Mmh?" he uttered and blinked a few times. By now, she had also noticed the return of his special morning problem – it was pressing against her thigh. Now she had to be extra careful with him.

"Hey," she said, smiled at him (he just looked so damn cute when he was sleeping or looked sleepy) and shoved him vigorously, but gently nonetheless, off her.

* * *

"Ngh …" he sighed, rolling onto the side while protecting his eyes from the sunlight. She rolled with him as he still held her around her shoulder. "Why this?" he mumbled, his voice raspy.

Yami chuckled and patted his shoulder. "I got scared. I couldn't breathe with you lying all over me."

"Huh?" he asked and raised his head, blinking at her as if realising who she was for the first time. "Uh, sorry," he managed to utter before falling back into the sand, yawning.

Yami grimaced. "Brush your teeth before you yawn."

He scowled with his eyes closed, and she couldn't help smiling. He still seemed half asleep. "And before you fully get to your senses, cowboy," she told him, "Don't panic now. I know about your morning wood."

This, however, managed to wake him up. "What?" he gasped and opened his eyes again, focusing on her face before looking down on himself. Oh yeah, she was right. He knew he should do something … like … moving … or … throwing her away …

Yami looked at him expectantly, finally bringing a hand up to settle on his cheek. "It's okay. Just let me stand up and everything'll be okay."

He looked back at her and blinked, distracted. Her eyes … there was something with her eyes. Had he never noticed how incredibly blue they were? Azure like the sky, like the ocean on a summer day … "How can one have so blue eyes?" he mused. Aloud.

She grinned, and those bright eyes immediately shot sparks, nice little sparks to tickle him. "I don't know, ask my parents," she said, then closed her mouth and frowned over what she herself had just said.

"What about your parents?" he asked quietly, but she just started unwinding his arms around her, succeeding only because he noticed it and let her go. She sat up and stretched. "Huh … another bright hot day in the bright hot damn desert," she yawned without coming back to the topic. Or to him.

As she stood up to get her brush from her rucksack she had left at the campfire, he sat up too, scratching his head and looking after her rather dumbfounded. He watched her brushing her hair before shaking his head violently to get the last bit of doziness out of it. He didn't even know why he felt so damn dazed, waking up next to her. It had been like this for two days already, but all of a sudden, he seemed to realise … well, her.

She had smelled like … he couldn't put his finger on it. Like something very, very delicious. And for a moment, that moment between waking and sleeping, he had really enjoyed having that nice-smelling person next to him.

He grabbed his head and sighed. He must have a sunstroke, thinking such bullshit.

Slowly, the rest of their group was awaking. He heard his brother yell at the cook, who yelled back "Stop yelling, you'll wake my precious ladies!", and finally, they woke everyone up who had been still asleep at the beginning of their dispute. Nami showed up and punished them both with a punch on the heads, Vivi chuckled her typical hand-on-her-mouth princess chuckle, Zoro growled something and Chopper and Usopp did their best to evade their orange-haired nakama to not come under fire.

And Yami … well, Yami sat a bit off, her brush still in hand but forgotten as she watched them.

Ace cocked his head a bit as he tried to figure out what she was thinking. It was not all too hard for him. She looked like she enjoyed the scene, smiling as she did, and a bit dreamily, which enchanted her facial features in a positive way. She seemed as if she wanted to be a part of the scene but did not interfere; it seemed like she was far off in some way. Like she wanted nothing more than being a part of this funny nonsense, yet she did not move. Happy but sad, in a way.

He knew very well how she felt. Observing his little brother's crew, he always felt like this, too. Like he wanted to be a part of this crap. In his case, he knew it was only because he was alone and hadn't seen his own crew for quite a time. In hers … well, what? Did she have a crew, too? A crew she loved and to which she wanted to return? But if she had and if she did, why didn't she just go back but chose to follow him instead? Or did she want to follow Luffy, because since he had been on Luffy's ship, that could be her purpose just as well? What were her purposes? And what about her parents, now?

Ace felt like having one thousand questions and no answer in sight. Letting out a sigh, he finally turned around and roamed his rucksack for the water bottle.

* * *

Sanji created them a truly royal breakfast out of their captured goods, and Yami didn't think that even Vivi had ever tasted something so delicious. But as it always seemed, it wasn't enough for the Straw-hats, let alone their captain. He started complaining by banging his spoon against the brass plate in his hand, Usopp quickly adopting his captain's opinion, and soon they had the cook all over them. Zoro was incorporated, too, as Luffy stole a piece of meat from his plate, and grabbed the corners of his captain's mouth, tearing them apart. As he was of rubber, it only irritated him.

"Always the same with those kids," Vivi frowned as the three girls sat on a rock further away from the silly-acting boys.

"I can't even look at it," Nami sighed her agreement, her eyes indeed glued to her plate.

Yami chuckled. "They're cute!"

Both girls raised their eyebrows at her for such an odd comment. "Just look at Ace," Vivi pointed at the young man sitting further up on another rock. He had just finished eating. "He's cleaning his cutlery and plate …"

"He's really cute … not as childish as our little silly-asses." They both sighed in unison, and Yami bit back her laughter. They sounded like lovey-dovey girlies. And cute … well, with his cloak currently off and placed on the rock next to him, every other description occurred to Yami … other than 'cute'.

"He's so different from Luffy … he's making such a well-bred impression, one can't even believe that his bounty's one of the highest in the world," Nami went on, and Vivi's eyes grew wide as saucers as she enquired about the fire user's bounty, sounding as astounded as can be.

Yami just smirked, knowing her own bounty was almost as high as the cowboy's. He knew that, too, and she knew that he really didn't like that. Men like him couldn't stand being surpassed, not even close. They were born as captains themselves; a wonder he had joined another man's crew.

"Uh, Nami," Yami interrupted them with a grin, "If he's so much better than Luffy, then why don't you take him instead?"

This comment brought the wrath of an utterly embarrassed navigator down on her, but she evaded her hand as the younger girl wanted to seize her by the collar, jumping from the rock onto another one. "Bleh!" she grinned and stuck her tongue out.

"You're just as childish as them!" Nami growled and jumped off the rock herself, ignoring Vivi's quizzical look.

After they had put the fire down and Nami settled the quarrel between Luffy and Zoro (by punching them), they wanted to continue their way. However, suddenly a drumstick decided that it was time to fly away, and of course (as Yami supposed him to have a sixth sense for meat matters), Luffy noticed and raced after it, jumping from rock to rock in his pursue. "My haunch!"

Yami looked bewildered after the boy and thought about a whisper she believed to have heard, then grabbed her rucksack, transformed and rushed after him. However, when confused Luffy had lost sight of his precious meat, Yami was a little further on. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ace also following the mysterious flying drumstick, which finally disappeared behind a large rock.

The girl re-appeared next to Ace, almost startling him to death. "Damn, crazy girl! Did you have to do this?" he hissed and scowled at her.

"Shh, it's someone talking," she replied and put a hand on his mouth, concentrating on the whispers from behind the rock before jumping up it. Ace followed her, still frowning.

Behind the rock sat two little boys, hungrily sharing Luffy's (or was it Zoro's?) drumstick. From their talking, the two pirates were able to understand that they were from the badlands … and were rather starving.

"So you little meat thieves are from the badlands, yeah?" Ace said, leaning over the edge of the rock they sat on.

Of course the two boys received the shock of their lives, but the older one quickly recovered, pulling his shivering companion behind his back as if to protect him. "Who are you, stranger?" he questioned rather aggressively, and from behind the other boy's back, the smaller one also felt brave. "We won't give the yummy meat back!" he declared in a small squeaky voice.

Yami grinned – until the older boy pulled a gun from behind his back. "One movement and you'll be dead!" he declared.

The girl cocked her brows and looked at the young man beside her, who looked back in a rather amused manner. "Shishi," he laughed, "Take this away or I'll pee myself, sonny." He was not a bit impressed by the gun, and why should he? Yami doubted that it was loaded with seastone bullets, and until that was the case, it could harm neither of them. But still, the fact that a little boy pointed a gun at them alarmed her. And besides … she didn't like displaying her abilities.

"Did you try it? Does it really spit bullets out?" the smaller boy asked, obviously as frightened as his wannabe sharpshooter friend, whose hands shivered so hard the gun rattled in his grip.

"How do I know?" he replied, his voice trembling. "I never held something like this!"

"Easy, boy," Yami tried to calm him down – with the result that he now pointed the gun at her. She saw his little finger pulling the trigger and readied herself … perhaps one second, or two, or …

He fired in exactly that moment the younger one threw himself on his arms, but it was too late. The bullet was already in motion, flying high-speed towards Yami, who flinched at the sound. Yes, she knew it could do her no harm, but it was a simple reflex.

However, with a speed that amazed even her, Ace took up a stone and stroke forcefully at the nearing bullet, effectively smashing it against a rock before it could even come close to the baffled shadow girl.

"Little boys better not play with such dangerous things," he growled, his smirk completely vanished. She couldn't see his face, but she knew he was shooting sparks at the boys right now. And she could easily imagine how frightening he would look when angry. Really angry.

He stood up, towering over the boys who started to shiver. They thought they were sunk now … Well, let's see. "A gun is nothing to play with." It sounded more like a threat than an advice, growling through gritted teeth like he was, but he seemed to hold back from what he really wanted to say. Those were children after all, even if one of them had tried just now to actually shoot them.

Yami blinked up at him, still puzzled. He had saved her from the shot, even if he knew she could just have evaded it. What about that, now?

"He repelled the bullet with a stone!" The boys were staring in awe – and fear. "Whoa! I've never seen somebody who can do such great things!"

Yami half-smiled. They admired him. Of course they did. Even if they almost died with fear.

"Huh? Where do those two come from, now?" she heard a voice from behind, and Usopp looked over the rock on which they still sat and stood. The others were coming, too.

Now the larger of the two boys threw the gun away and hurried over to Ace, blinking up at him with his innocent eyes. There was also determination. "You," he addressed the young man who still frowned down at him. "May I ask you something?"

Ace crossed his arms in front of his chest, but finally nodded. Those were children, after all.

"I really wanna find a dangerous and clever villain! If you catch him for me, I'll pay you one million beli!" The boy seemed resolute, and Yami wondered what he might have to do with this "villain". Did he destroy his family? Was that the reason why he and the other boy – his younger brother perhaps – were out here all alone? She couldn't help but feel a bit of compassion for the two.

"One million beli?" Nami's voice came from behind, and Yami almost rolled her eyes. Of course that was all the orange-haired girl had heard.

"Uhh … y'know … uhh … I can't pay you directly …" the boy said and lowered his head, only to clench his little hands to fists and stare up at the cowboy again. "But I swear, you'll get it when I've grown up!" Now he roamed about in his pockets and dug a pretty much tattered photograph up, which he held out for Ace to see. "Can you find him? This man?"

On the photograph was a man with a hay fork, dark sunglasses, a moustache and a heart tattoo on his high forehead. He grinned kind of mischievously, which really didn't make him look like a harmless farmer.

Ace frowned down at the boy with the picture, then sent a glance to Yami who still sat on the rock next to him. She looked up at him questioningly. "What do you say?" he asked, sitting down as well.

"Me?" she asked in surprise.

"Yeah, you. You're the one they tried to kill, so it's up to you," he muttered, narrowing his eyes at the boy who almost teared up.

"Please! I'll do everything …"

"Ask the lady, kiddo. The lady you almost shot." A general gasp from behind told them the others had also heard.

"I didn't mean it …"

"Then you shouldn't have aimed at her!" Ace snarled, and the boy shut his mouth in less than one second, staring at Yami with tear-filled eyes.

"Please, Miss! I'm sorry!"

She cocked her head and looked at the boy, then put her hand on Ace's arm. "It's okay," she said with a soft smile. "Nothing happened. They're a long way from home, and they're stressed. I understand that. We could just as well help them." She couldn't help but feel a blast of sympathy for the cowboy at that moment. She still didn't get over him smashing the bullet for her, but thought that she would have enough time for thinking about that later. She smiled at him. "Let's do it."

Ace looked at her for a few more moments, then nodded. He directed his gaze back to the boys before bending down and taking the picture.

Yami said nothing as she watched him take the photograph. No, she just didn't get over it.

* * *

**Author's note:** I hate it when I close my eyes and the sun blinds me through it. I hate it. It's like you see red.

Anyway, did you like it? For those of you who've seen the anime, yes, I changed his reaction towards the kids shooting him away from the Ace-typical coolness to anger. I can imagine quite well his reaction would be like this, because they didn't shoot him but her and he's developing feelings for her … he just didn't notice yet (Aww, come. I'm not spoiling, that is so predictable.). So he wants to protect her, and anger is only natural here.

_**Coming up:**_

"Isn't that great, Ace? A fight! Now you can come into your own!" Luffy exclaimed happily. – Ace's "glorious" fight …

"What …" Ace began, but was cut off by a gunshot. – a gunshot in the night … no, not exactly.

"Come," he told her, and she could hear the smile in his voice. He took her by the arm and helped her up, supporting her from the side when she swayed. – knight in shining armour?


	22. Scorpion on the Rocks

**Disclaimer:** No, I don't own it.

* * *

**Chapter 22: Scorpion on the Rocks**

"My little brother and I followed this guy from the badlands up to here …" the boy explained, his head drooping.

"So? What's up with this guy?" Usopp asked.

"His name's Scorpion and he's a bounty hunter."

_Scorpion?_ Yami thought in surprise as she sent a quick look at the cowboy. _That Scorpion?_

Ace recognised it too, she could tell from his expression as he was staring down at the photograph with narrowed eyes.

"I have to find that man too," he then interrupted the boys, but as far as Yami could tell, they had been looking for an answer to Nami's current question why they searched that guy anyway. "Some guy is reputed to have defeated Blackbeard, and that guy's name is Scorpion. I'm only on my way to Yuba because I wanted to talk to him."

Yami nodded silently. That was exactly what she had heard. Even if she thought the whole thing with someone defeating the infamous Blackbeard to be quite fishy, she knew Ace had to do everything in his might to find Blackbeard. That was how she had found him after all.

"He doesn't look like it," Usopp remarked, and Yami silently nodded in agreement. She had assumed the man to be quite strong – which he had to be to defeat one of Whitebeard's crew –, but this fellow …? Now that she saw the picture, she found it hard to believe. But, on the other hand, no one could judge from Luffy's bounty poster that he was a fighter – and quite a good one, as far as she had heard –, either.

"Is that really true, Ace?" Usopp enquired, pulling the cowboy out of his thoughts. "This guy defeated Blackbeard?"

"Honestly … I don't know. That's why I'm here to find out."

"Ace?" one of the boys repeated, and as Yami looked at them, she saw them with gaping mouths and wide eyes. "You're really _that_ Ace?"

While they stared at him, however, he stood up and looked into the distance. "Someone's coming."

"Huh?" Yami asked and rose to her feet to stare in the direction he had fixed his gaze onto. "What?"

"Two men and a bird."

"A bird? You serious?"

He didn't bother with answering her but just narrowed his eyes.

"They're coming," Chopper agreed, his little blue nose twitching cutely, and now Yami could see a large cloud of dust appearing from behind a dune … right before the newcomers themselves came into view.

"A bird," she muttered incredulously. "How could he possibly have known that?"

Indeed, a bird. A large ratite, perhaps an ostrich, appeared on top of the dune, saddled up like a horse and with a helmet on his head resembling the one his owner was wearing. Speaking of which, it seemed to be the very man from the picture the boys had just shown them. "Here you are, Fire Fist Ace!" the man called out for them to hear. "I'm Scorpion, also called _The Merciless_! I'm here to fight with you fairly and respectably!"

_Fight with him? _Yami sighed inwardly. _Just what is he thinking?_

"Hey guys, here I am again!" Luffy greeted them from behind the man.

"LU-LUFFY?" his crew yelled in surprise.

"He looks quite scared," Yami muttered just for Ace to hear, noticing the little sweat drops on the man's face. He nodded, a smirk now on his face. "Cowboy, I really don't want to disappoint you, but …"

"Bad luck you met me! From now on the people'll speak of the defeat of Fire Fist Ace!" Scorpion interrupted her.

"He's crazy! Completely crazy!" the older of the two boys said, ducking behind a rock with his brother.

"Isn't that great, Ace? A fight! Now you can come into your own!" Luffy exclaimed happily.

"That's what I'll do. But before, I have to ask Scorpion about something," he told his brother. "Now step aside, Luffy!"

"Really, cowboy, I don't think …"

"Are you ready, Portgas D. Ace?" Scorpion shouted, and his ostrich lunged forward all of a sudden. Luffy somersaulted off the bird with a large grin on his face.

Yami growled, irritated. Why couldn't that guy just let her finish her sentences? "Fine, do as you like," she sighed.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Ace mumbled with a grin and jumped off the rock to meet Scorpion in plain sand.

The bounty hunter, meanwhile, had attached something to his large cannon – with which he was now aiming at his opponent. "I've got something for you!" And with that, he fired.

A large net came out of his cannon, flying towards Ace – who stood there, smirking, until he disappeared into a pillar of fire just before the net could close around him, effectively blasting it away – and right back to the shooter.

"Lucky you. Could've been made of seastone," Yami mumbled to herself. "One never knows."

"Aaah! Hot! Hot!" Scorpion yelled when his own little trap caught him instead, hitting him off his ostrich. He rolled around in the sand, screaming "Hot! Hot!" all the time.

"Ace fought off a steel net!" Usopp shouted in amazement.

"What's so awesome about that? You knew he's fire," Yami said, her arms crossed in front of her chest, not at all impressed. _Steel's nothing – try the same with seastone, and there you go_, she thought but kept it to herself. "He's such a show-off."

"I'm glad the fight's not over yet. Would've been boring," Scorpion announced the moment he got free from his own net, and jumped to his feet.

"You're not as weak as I thought," Ace smirked.

"Try harder! The party's just started!" Scorpion yelled back and called for his bird to get him his rifle.

"Strange bird," Yami said while watching the ostrich grabbing a yellow bag, running to his owner, putting it down and running away.

Scorpion had his rifle equipped in a flash. "Now I've got some fire-extinguishing chemicals for you!"

"What's in that bag, a fire drencher?" Sanji mused while the man approached Ace – who looked rather disinterested. When Scorpion fired with a shout of rage, the out coming spurt could have hit its target – would it have been there still.

"Whoa!" the spectators yelled when the spurt hit a stone instead, leaving a large hole straight through it.

Ace, who had done a backflip and was now behind the attacker, was unharmed so far, and skilfully evaded every shoot at him as he raced at Scorpion.

"Bingo," Yami smirked when the young man's fist met the weird guy's stomach, and he went down. _Serves him right._

"I'm sorry for him, but he was dead in the water from the start," Usopp commented.

"Listen," Ace told the guy, "I almost thought it was a lie that you defeated Blackbeard. You just hoped I'd show up when you spread such bullshit, right?"

_Interesting__. Thumbs up for cowboy. _

Scorpion replied something they couldn't hear, and for a moment, it looked like he wanted to fight on. Then he just fell on his back.

"Stop this! You have to stop this, daddy!" one of the boys yelled and jumped from behind the rock where he had hidden with his brother.

"Daddy?" Luffy asked, confused now.

Scorpion coughed and raised his head with difficulty. "Daddy? What Daddy?"

The two boys ran up to him – that means, they slid all the way down to him, as he lay in a ditch in the sand. "Daddy! You mustn't fight with Ace!" they yelled and clutched his sleeves to withhold him.

"What are you doing here?" Scorpion asked incredulously, and Yami decided to get nearer to hear what they were talking, so she jumped off the rock and went towards Ace.

It seemed like something one of the boys had said had tempted their father to return to his former work and to fight one of the highest-remunerated pirates in the world. Obviously, Ace had been his choice, and so he went off to defeat him.

"Stupid lad," Yami said and frowned at the man. "So he really did destroy their family."

"It's a matter of pride," Ace told her with his arms folded as he watched the man stand up and grab his gun again, with his boys clinging to his legs to keep him from fighting. "He has to show his sons what he's worth."

"Stupid men. Stupid pride. That's as unimportant as can be," Yami growled. "All that matters is they love each other. And they have each other, as a family. They shouldn't say such things only because they're hungry."

Ace gave her a frown, completely ignoring the fact that a large gun was pointed at him. "You can't be freakin' serious! When all they've got is one potato a day? How should they not doubt him?"

"So?" she asked defiantly, scowling up at him. "At least they have their father's love!"

"You won't get full with just love!" he shot back.

"Yes, but you'll miss it when it's gone," she hissed and scowled at him before lowering her glance and staring at the ground with a deep frown. At the same time, she could have slapped herself for saying such stupid things, really, she could just as well tell him everything else …

"What …" Ace began, frowning, but was cut off by a gunshot. Both their heads jerked up to see the thrown away gun discharge and fire at the upper rocks.

_Phew_, Yami wanted to utter, relieved that no one was going to be harmed, but another loud explosion stopped her. "What the …?"

"An explosive bullet," Ace said calmly. "It blew up half the mountain …"

And half the mountain was now falling down on the little family gathered just below them.

"Gomu Gomu no …" Luffy yelled, ready to stretch his arm at the three, but Ace held him back.

"I'll do that!" he shouted and transformed his arm into fire, shooting it at the rocks. "Fireball!"

Meanwhile, Yami was long since there. She transformed mid-air and threw herself at the small group to get them out of the way, and the four of them flew to the side while fire roared above their heads and rocks were tumbling down.

_You'd better hit your targe__t, cowboy_, she mentally snarled as she protected one of the boys from stones and fire by holding him close, but when she looked up, she could have sighed. "Yah, of course," she muttered. "Damn show-off."

Ace had blasted the whole rock formation away.

However, when she turned her attention to the boy in her arms, one of the last not-so-small rocks that were still falling down hit her head hard, almost knocking her out. "Oww!" she hissed when she could suddenly see stars in front of her eyes.

She immediately let go of the boy who did not hesitate to run up to his father. "Daddy! Daddy!" both boys yelled, and despite the fact that Yami couldn't see anything at the moment, she was incredibly glad they were alive.

"You all okay?" Ace's voice came from somewhere above, and the boys called him to help them with their father.

"Daddy's got hit! He protected us from the rocks!"

"Hmpf," Yami answered with a scowl while rubbing her head. She still couldn't see, but at least the colours were back.

When Scorpion gave a vital sign, she heard somebody coming her way. If it were not for the hat, that ridiculous orange hat, she couldn't have told who it was. "You okay?" Ace repeated, softer than before, and knelt down next to her.

She blinked at him, narrowing her eyes in an attempt to make out his face. "I'm alright. It was just a little shitty rock."

"Come," he told her, and she could hear the smile in his voice. He took her by the arm and helped her up, supporting her from the side when she swayed on her feet.

"I'm perfectly okay, thank you," she protested, even if she was rather grateful for the help. "Let me go!"

"That's gonna get a major lump," Ace just commented, leaving her statement unanswered, and took one hand up to feel the back of her head. She winced at the pain when he touched the very point where the rock had hit her.

"Stop that, idiot, that hurts!" she hissed.

"Huh?" the boys exclaimed in unison, and she turned her face their way. They looked up at her in utter astonishment … as far as she could tell with her blurred view. "Where do you come from?"

"I'm just the person that was all over you," she informed them and almost rolled her eyes, were it not for the fact that it hurt so much. "You can let me go now, cowboy."

* * *

**Author's note:** Because **Tropicall** asked for more clarification in the case of Yami's powers:

She can transform into a shadow like any other logia can transform into his/her element. As such, she can speak, hear and see (but not touch anyone). She can take her clothes with her into that state, as well as other things she touches (like her rucksack), but no humans. She can also play with shadows or manipulate them, like she once did with Ace's on the Merry (remember?). That can be quite confusing in a fight. And she can summon them, but it's harder to do because she has to draw them together from everywhere (so, actually, 'summoning' is not quite the right word), and the shadows want to escape and go back. Like, when she did it with the Sea King, she had quite a few shadows assembled in one space. Which they didn't like, because it's not natural. Every time she uses her powers, she gets these tattoos in her face. And the "shadow-propelled punch" from chapter 17 … ah well, I don't want to spoil. It's one of my plans. Just wait^^

… So, if there are any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

_**Coming up**__**:**_

Her gaze wandered over the seven people she had come to like a lot in those few days. A whole lot. She wished nothing more than to go with them … almost. – Time to leave. I feel alone without my favourite Straw-Hats.

She raised her chin in defiance. If he thought she was dependent on him, he was mistaken. She would not beg for his mercy if he didn't give it of his own accord. – yup. She's just such a stubborn kiddo.

"You …" she heard him start, but he didn't finish whatever he had wanted to say. He threw himself into the sand instead, grumbling incomprehensible things. – haha. But there's actually a happy end to this. Trust me.


	23. Farewell, Goodbye, So Long

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece, and I do not draw any commercial profit from it.

**Author's note:** Just for you to know, I'll change the rating to "M" with next chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 23:**** Farewell, Goodbye, So Long …**

"So then, I'll leave you here," Ace announced as the little group was ready to travel further.

"You'll leave?" Nami asked in surprise, and the words "what a pity" were clearly written on her face. Vivi, too, looked like she had rather had him there a bit longer. They even looked at the crazy girl, but lucky them – she would stay.

Ace just smiled. "Yeah. I came here to find Blackbeard, but obviously he's not here. Now there's no reason for me to stay any longer. I have to find him."

He really had to do that. It was about time for him to return to his own crew, and he wanted nothing more than that. Marshall D. Teach stood between him and his duties as Whitebeard's Second Division Commander. That really was a pain in the ass. And after having spent the whole day with Scorpion and his two boys after these incidents at noon, the sun was already about to set, covering the desert sand in a mystic red glow. Even the rock formation, next to which they were standing now, glimmered in this deep red shade, and the shadows it cast on the ground were growing with every minute that passed, reminding him of his business.

"That's so sad," Chopper said quietly and looked at them with his large dark eyes. At both of them. And the lizard.

"Oh, no," Ace laughed and put it off with a casual wink of his hand, "_I_'ll go, but _she_'ll stay with you," he hurried to say and made one step away from her, so as to display the difference between them. "And the lizard too."

She sent him an utterly amused glance. "Of course I'll accompany you, if it doesn't give you any trouble," she said and smiled kindly.

Were it not for the fact that she looked at _him_ and not at _them_ while saying that, he would have been a happy man.

He frowned at her. "Nothing doing, crazy girl. You stay with them. I know you want to, and I know they'd let you, so forget it! Besides, yes you're damn right, it gives me trouble, and a whole lot of trouble at that. My business is nothing for you."

Chopper's eyes lightened up immediately, and so did Luffy's. „Yosha! Yami, stay with us!", he exclaimed and grinned in his usual manner, his face almost split in half. "You can be our entertainer, and Lizzie will be my pet!"

* * *

Her gaze wandered over the seven people she had come to like a lot in those few days. A whole lot. She wished nothing more than to go with them … almost. "Sorry, Luffy. But someone has to care for your brother, you see?" she smiled, hiding the uncertainty deep inside of her. Her heart felt as if it was clenched by a fist of steel, squeezing it until there was nothing but pain left in her chest. She had forgotten to guard it just once, had let herself go and opened it to the Straw-Hat Crew because it had seemed okay. It was just natural to love them, but still … she had forgotten to be cautious, and now she had to suffer the consequences. Going with them was just off the cards.

"Hm," the rubber boy uttered and thoughtfully narrowed his eyes heavenwards – while Ace clenched his teeth angrily.

"You're right!" he then chuckled, and Yami pressed her lips together so as not to grin, despite her momentary feelings. She knew Luffy only said that to annoy his older brother – and quite successfully indeed.

"I'll tell you who's right," Ace growled and threatened Luffy with his raised fist. "Go get her, take her with you, and make sure I'll never see her again."

Yami pouted at him. "Really, cowboy. That's incredibly rude." She so couldn't do that. They had aims and goals completely different from hers. They were going to fight Sir Crocodile, and this was not her fight. She couldn't go with them.

_But … what is__ my objection, then? What am I gonna do?_

"Rude? Hell yeah," he agreed, scowling at her, and folded his arms in front of his (quite impressive) chest. "Like sticking to someone like a damn limpet and following him all the way, you mean. Yes, that really is rude."

She just laughed, and even succeeded in making it sound comfortably – or so she thought. "Touché," she admitted and grinned at him, but he only rolled his eyes.

With one quick last look asquint at her, he took something out of his pocket and turned back to Luffy, obviously deciding to ignore her. "Ne, Luffy."

"Huh?" the younger boy asked as his brother reached a folded little piece of paper out to him. First Yami only watched in confusion, but when Ace then told Luffy to always carry it with him, she understood.

_A Vivre Card_, she thought with appreciation. _Where did he get that? He sure has come around in the last three years. I wonder …_

"What? That's just a piece of paper!" Luffy complained, apparently unaware of what it was he held in his hand, and stared at the item now unfolded. It was really just a blank piece of paper – at least, if you didn't know what it was and how to use it.

"Yup. It'll make sure we'll meet again," Ace informed him.

"Uh-huh," Luffy said as if he didn't quite believe that. The rest of his crew also had that look on their faces.

"You don't want it?"

"Sure I want it," he assured him quickly and put it into his pocket, as if Ace would suddenly change his mind and take it back again. Yami noticed Ace smiling at his brother, and this warm smile held his whole love, she could see it. She would give all she had to be looked at like this just once, but Luffy didn't even seem to notice. She forced herself to look away; this was nothing she should care about. These thoughts were not good for her.

Sanji cleared his throat, and Ace looked up. "So where do you go now, Ace?" he asked.

"Scorpion told me some guy just saw Teach in the west. I'll go check that out," he explained.

"On a winter island," Yami added cheerfully and pointed at the sun. "It's gonna be a welcome change to this." She turned to Ace and clapped her hands. "I'm gonna get some warm clothes, a new cloak and stuff, because it will be freezing cold …"

Ace interrupted her. "You're not gonna go with me."

"Yes, dear Yami-san," Sanji chimed in, making one step forward and taking her hand. "I beg you, please come with us, I'll cook you everything you want!" He obviously agreed with Ace. Perhaps he just couldn't stand the idea of her and him together on a journey into the unknown.

Yami watched the cook as he kneeled on the ground, his blue eye holding a pleading look. The other Straw-Hats smiled encouragingly, and she was more than inclined to just say yes. What did it matter, after all? Nothing. She had no aims in her life, she could just as well adopt theirs. Making their fight hers. To be in the company of these seven more than lovable persons, to have friends … it seemed so tangible, just within her reach, and yet so far away.

She really wished to have friends. She longed for it for so long already, ever since she had been eleven years old. To have friends who loved her as much as she loved them. But she wasn't the kind of person for that. She loved no one, because that only caused troubles.

Making an effort, she took her hand out of Sanji's. "No," she said softly. "I can't. I have to go now, and I don't think I'd blend in well with you. But thanks. Thanks a whole damn lot. I'm sure we'll see again someday."

She swallowed hard as their faces drooped as one. Even Zoro, who always kept a straight face, had this revealing look in his eyes. At least, she thought she saw something like that. Could have been her imagination, too.

"You're not gonna go with me!" Ace said firmly and shoved her in the direction of the others. But he could say it as many times as he liked, she would still go with him. She knew he liked her. He just didn't show it. And it was just so much fun to tease him all along.

"You keep a watching brief over my little brother," he then told Luffy's crew, and they all nodded. "You've gotta be patient with him … but I think you already know that," he smiled. They nodded again. "Goodbye, friends …"

"Yah, goodbye, Straw-Hats. It was a nice time with you, I really enjoyed it …" Yami said and bowed to them. Even Lizzie bowed his purple head in their direction, with his dangling skinny hands as useless as ever.

"He says he's sorry he has to leave us," Chopper informed the crew.

"He can talk?" Yami's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. "And it's a 'he', actually?"

"Of course he can talk," Chopper smiled and listened to the animal once more. "He says he likes you."

She turned at her scaly friend in surprise. "Hey, thank you, and I like you, too!"

His eyes told her nothing, they looked as stupid as they always did, but apparently, that didn't mean anything.

"Luffy … our next meeting will decide who's gonna become Pirate King," Ace smirked, ignoring the three as he turned to his little brother.

They all knew he didn't mean himself.

"Yeah!" Luffy exclaimed and pumped his fist in the air, grinning at his older brother.

"And I'm looking forward to it."

Yami smiled. Despite the bickering, she knew the two brothers cared for each other deeply, and that was touching. Really, she would give all she was able to call her own to have such a relationship with her brother …

_Aww, there they are again! Stupid thoughts, they'll just put me down …_

"Heeey! Goodbye!" a voice came from far off, and everyone looked at the little family on the ostrich, ready to depart. The boys were waving their hands and Scorpion wore a large grin on his tattooed face.

Yami tore her gaze away from them and took a step back. She grasped Ace's wrist without looking at him, with her head hanging down and her hair covering her eyes. "Let's go," she whispered quietly.

She felt him looking down on her and could almost see him frown. "Damn, why is it so hard for you to comprehend my words? I already told you, you're not …" Then, he stopped. "Ah, forget it," he said with a deep sigh. "I guess I'm stuck with you anyways …"

"Damn right," she grinned and strengthened her grip around his arm.

The Straw-Hats were still occupied with waving towards the former bounty hunter and his two boys, too busy to notice the sudden flickering of fire and whirling of darkness whooshing off to the distance together. Lizzie disappeared behind a rock, then hurried off when nobody looked.

* * *

They didn't talk much on their way. Three hours since then, and Yami was still sad about their departure, about their parting from the cheerful Straw-Hats, and therefore her mood was rather gloomy. She had said they would meet again, but other than when she had said that to Ace three years ago, she wasn't sure about it at all now.

And the cowboy … well, she didn't know about him, but she assumed he wasn't that talkative now because he wanted to show her how incredibly angry he was about her forcing her company on him.

_Nonsense_, she thought, just to distract herself. She knew he liked her.

"You're sad," Ace broke the silence, and Yami almost flinched in surprise.

"Yeah, so what?" she replied after a moment.

"Why didn't you stay with them?"

"Because I don't fit in." She really couldn't tell him.

"Oh, come," he said, rolling his eyes. "I've seen them, and I've seen you. The same crappy craziness all around. You would've fit in just well."

"I'm … other things than crazy, as you call it. Believe me, I don't fit in." _Nowhere_, she added to herself.

"So what are you? A mystery? Even Luffy can be a mystery, and even to me."

She sighed. She really didn't know how to explain it. "I … carry certain things around with me. They're too troubling to just get friends and share them. _I_am too troubling."

He let out a short laugh. "Don't we all have these things? You can bet your cute little ass you're nothing special there. And besides, if you think you're too troubling for them, why do you go with me? Because you're certainly too troubling for _me_."

She frowned in annoyance, deciding to just ignore the 'cute little ass' and his little insult. No, she couldn't tell him. "I have killed people," she blurted out instead, biting her lip and glaring daggers at the ground instead of him as they walked.

"Woo-hoo," he replied dryly. "Now that's soo surprising. So what?" He gave her a quick sidewards look before looking up at the red evening sky. "I did that, too. Now does that mean I'm not worthy to be Luffy's brother, or what?"

She felt her level of annoyance raise with every second he talked. "Don't freakin' twist my words, cowboy! Just believe me. I wouldn't fit in. I'm not the person to have friends and stuff and just be cheerful all day," she growled.

"No, _you_ believe me, crazy girl. Luffy also isn't always cheerful all day."

"You don't understand!" she growled angrily and crossed her arms in front of her chest, visibly blocking him out. End of dialogue.

She heard his little annoyed huff as he walked beside her silently for a few minutes, then the loud thud when he fell into the sand. Right timing, as usual.

* * *

The sun had gone down one hour ago, and it was cold. Her breath formed little clouds in the air in front of her, but she clenched her teeth and said nothing. She really needed winter clothes, and on the next island, she would buy a whole lot of them. She would buy a nice warm jacket, padded with down, and a woollen cap, and a scarf at least three metres long. And gloves. And woollen socks. And –

"Let's rest for the night," Ace interrupted her warming train of thoughts. He stopped and put his rucksack down to the ground. "Uhh …"

"What?" she asked and patted Lizzie's shoulder absently. The lizard had caught up with them shortly after they had transformed back, and had been trotting after them silently the whole time – for he was always silent.

"Do you have a tent?" he asked and scratched his head.

"Uhh … no, I haven't," she admitted, still a little bit gruff. "I thought you'd gotten one, but obviously not."

He sighed. "This is my personal hell," he muttered, knelt down and pulled some branches out of his rucksack.

"Aww, come on. I know you like it," she smiled, now enjoying his obvious misery, which put her in a better mood, and sat down next to him with her legs crossed.

"If you say so."

"Apparently, I do. And now stop complaining, I know many men who wouldn't mind my company at all. Quite the opposite, rather," she stated dryly and motioned to Lizzie to lie down next to her. The animal obeyed hesitantly.

"Seems like they're as crazy as you are."

She chuckled, but said nothing. Perhaps he would start to talk if she just remained silent, and so she took one of Sanji's delicious sandwiches out of her rucksack and started to eat. From time to time, she broke off bits of it and reached them out to Lizzie, who eagerly took everything she gave him. And really, after she had eaten she felt so much better and her whole annoyance had disappeared.

And sitting by the fire was okay. It was warm and comfortable, and successfully chased away the cold that lured everywhere around, ready to devour her.

Finally breaking the silence, Ace said, "You're gonna sleep by the fire."

She shrugged. "Okay."

She noticed him raising his eyebrows in surprise and bit back a grin. This was not what he had expected. True, she wanted to spend the night by his side – it was easier to keep warm like that. But if he wouldn't have been here, what would she have done? Shivered and cried like a baby? Surely not.

She raised her chin in defiance. If he thought she was dependent on him, he was so mistaken. She would not beg for his mercy if he didn't give it of his own accord. She had survived on her own, long enough to be as independent as one could be.

* * *

Ace frowned. Okay? Okay, she said? After three hours of silence she had nothing more to say than that? Well, he had been silent, too. But only because he had wanted her to break the silence first, to show him she was over it. Because he knew she suffered, he just didn't know why exactly … or how. He had noticed it when she had spoken her goodbye to Luffy's crew, she had sounded unhappy. Her laughter had been forced. Obviously, she hadn't wanted to leave them. So why was she here now? Why had she decided to follow him instead of them? What on earth did she expect from doing so? He had nothing to give her, he had nowhere to lead her, and if she was here to kill him, she could have done so long before. On the ship. Or even before that.

He had so much to ask her, but he didn't expect her to answer these questions if he would ever pose them. And now she was as silent as if her tongue was tied, she, the one who always chattered incessantly.

And that was weird.

He wanted to know how she felt, he really did. What was wrong with her?

_Speak, you idiot. Talk to me!_

But she just sat there, munching her sandwich, while he frowned at her. Was this a game to her? Keep silent until he would start to talk? He folded his arms in front of his chest and stared at the fire, the same way she did. If he only stayed like this for a few minutes more, she would break like a glass jar. He could stay like this forever, if he wanted. Staying silent was not such a big deal. He should be thankful she once did –

"The fire's gonna die," she suddenly said, and he jerked around in surprise. He found her looking at him with a thoughtful expression on her face, illuminated by the warm shine of the flames and her hair redder than usual. She looked like a fire elf out of a fairy tale. Funny, considering the fact that he was the fire demon.

"You should heat it up."

"I can't."

"You can't?" she asked slowly, her eyes glimmering as the light of the fire flickered over them.

He shook his head. "No, unless I'm standing next to it to maintain it the whole night."

"Oh," she simply said and returned her gaze to the flames now decidedly smaller. She closed her eyes and rubbed warmth into her hands. She was cold, he knew that she was, and the fire wasn't even dead. Cold and tired. So why didn't she ask him but be stubborn and sit there all alone? The fire was already dying, and even he couldn't maintain it the whole night. She would be frozen to death until the sun rose.

_Aww, fuck. Now that's a problem. As much as I'd like to let her suffer a __bit … I'm not gonna let her die. I was the one saying that she sleep by the fire …_

"Damn you," he muttered and lay down in the sand after having put his rucksack in place. "Come on already."

"But you said …"

"I know what I've said!" he snapped and reached out for her impatiently. "That was before the thought occurred to me that we haven't enough fire wood to supply the fire the whole night, so just come on and let me sleep."

* * *

_Just come on and let me sleep? My ass!_

"No," she replied, staying where she was.

"What?"

She noticed him getting up from the corner of her eyes, but she didn't care. Normally she didn't mind if he was grumpy or not, but today she did. It did matter today, and she wouldn't act like she was dependent on him, grasping every little favour he did her, as if he was a god or something.

"G'night," she mumbled and curled up to a tight ball, carefully pinning the cloak around her like a blanket. If she was lucky, she would be asleep before the fire went out and wouldn't wake up anymore to the deadly grasp of the cold. She had been on winter islands, sleeping in the snow, so this should be a piece of cake, shouldn't it?

"You …" she heard him start, but he didn't finish whatever he had wanted to say. He threw himself into the sand instead, grumbling incomprehensible things.

And the night got colder.

She was awake – of course she was. Even if the temperature – or the lack of it – weren't a nuisance, she knew she just couldn't sleep like this.

It was all his damn fault.

If he hadn't been so sulky, she would have accepted his offer. But not like this. She had her pride, too, and –

She heard him standing up and opened her eyes. He knelt in the sand on the other side of the campfire, and for a second, she thought he would just try to light it anew. But then he moved towards her on his hands and knees, and she frowned. "What do you –"

"Still," he told her, his voice low and expressionless, and lay down next to her. The next thing she remembered were his arms around her.

"What …!" she uttered, overwhelmed by his body so near and the sheer hotness of it – just literally, at that moment. In less than five seconds, the cold that had taken possession of her bones, freezing them until she couldn't move any more apart from trembling like mad, had vanished. His amazing body heat simply got the better of her, and she just couldn't prevent the little sigh from escaping her mouth.

"Still," he repeated, and she thought she heard a little smile in his voice this time.

"Cowboy, that –"

Instead of answering, he only wrapped his arms tighter around her. He knew she didn't really want to leave his embrace, and, knowing that, it made her feel weird. But she just couldn't help it. The warmth he gave her was too dazing, she didn't want to leave even if she could.

Sighing again, she snuggled her nose in the fabric of his cloak when he pulled it over her.

* * *

**Author's note:** Do you like the "Coming up" thing? Or should I stop that?

_**Coming up:**_

"Asshole," she muttered and looked away when she felt the hot feeling of a blush creeping over her cheeks. – he finally managed to make her blush, for a change! Yay!

What he said next, however, was nothing she would ever have thought of. – The next chapter will be just one huge surprise for Yami. Or, rather, a succession of surprises. And it will be _good_.

"YAMI! WATCH OUT!" he interrupted her with a scream of horror, fear in his face as he watched her turn her head towards the threat. – oh, it'll be keeping him on the go, certainly … I promise cuteness in the next chapter. Trust me.


	24. Worrisome Beasts

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece.

**Author's note:** I changed the rating to M. Not because of this chapter but one of the following. Just for you to notice.

* * *

**Chapter 24: ****Worrisome Beasts**

She awoke when the first light of the day made its way under her eyelids mercilessly. She frowned in her half-sleep, but knew she couldn't possibly go back to dreamland anymore. Turning around and tugging the blanket over her head would have been just fine, but how do you possibly manage to do that when you are in the middle of a desert, with your own cloak as the only blanket around?

At least she had cowboy to give her warmth. It was not high noon, and the temperature had not yet risen very much from what it was in the night, as far as she could tell. So, having her own little heater now was rather nice.

But why was it so freaking cold, then?

She blinked once, deciding she was now way too awake and cold to go back to sleep again. As little light there was, it still managed to make her squeeze her eyes shut again for protection, taking one hand up to rub them fiercely. With a sigh, she opened them again, seeing the sand surface beneath her – and a very awake cowboy, lying on his side with his head propped up on one hand, and staring at her.

"Ugh!" she uttered and winced in surprise, and he – he laughed.

"Whadda heck are y'doin'?" she mumbled sleepily and continued to rub her eyes.

"I'm just looking," he said simply. "Looking at that cute face of yours when you're sleeping."

Yami groaned. "Stalker!" she mumbled with a huge yawn and pulled the cloak around her frame while curling up into a ball. Somehow it had managed to end up exposing her lower body, and she wondered why she wasn't an icecube by now. Her feet, by all means, felt like it.

He laughed again, and she frowned at him from the side. "Besides, I wanted to know how cold you have to become until you wake up."

She only stared at him, mouth agape, while her brain came to life slowly.

"You needed quite a long time. Even more than half an hour, I think. Your self-preservation drive must be quite low, if you ask me …" he mused, and Yami stared at that smug grin of his, still at a loss for words.

"You did that on purpose?" she finally managed to say and raised one clenched fist at him when he just chuckled.

"You asshole!" she muttered and made a face at him. "Now my toes have to be amputated, just because you thought it funny to watch me slowly freezing to death! You asshole!"

"Aww, come on. It can't be so bad." Under her scowl, he sat up in one swift movement and bent over her legs. And then, before she could protest, he stripped her of her shoes and socks and took her bare feet in his oh-so-warm hands.

Yami suppressed the contented groan that wanted to escape her mouth with all her might when she felt the heat that his skin was radiating suffusing her feet-gone-icecubes. She stared at him as he knelt there, rubbing the feeling back into her cold appendages, and couldn't help but feel thankful. At least, until she reminded herself that this had been his fault in the first place, watching her sleep and mentally making bets with himself like an idiot about how much time she would need until the cold would wake her up.

"Asshole," she muttered and looked away when she felt the hot feeling of a blush creeping over her cheeks from nowhere. She didn't exactly know why, but under no circumstances would she let him see that.

"You're welcome." She heard that smug smile in his voice. Oh, she could have _killed _him for that.

She narrowed her lips to a thin line while forcing herself not to think about that incredibly good feeling at her feet – or that it, now that her nerve cells weren't frozen anymore but very much alive, _tickled like hell._

"My feet aren't the only parts of my body that are cold," she then informed him. Perhaps she could wipe that damn grin away from his freckled face with just a little trick.

"Aww, I'm sorry you're such a sissy," he grinned teasingly while continuing to massage her.

"Sissy?" she snapped and glared daggers at that smug being kneeling beside her. "It's not my fault I'm not a living bonfire like you!"

"Mmh," he said and looked thoughtfully. "You could be right there."

"I always am!"

"Okay, then let me clasp you to my bosom …" he said, snorting with laughter, and Yami's frown grew deeper.

"Since when did we change roles?" she mumbled when he really did what he promised and pulled her upwards to hug her to his (warm warm _warm_) body. "I should be the one teasing you, idiot!" she protested, glaring at him.

"Don't tell me you're calling me an idiot again?" he said in a feigned huff. "Shall I drop you down again, Miss Icecube?"

She glared at him, her face only inches away from his, in a way that clearly said, "Fuck you." She didn't verbalize it, however, but he seemed to understand it anyways as he just chuckled deep in his throat and started rubbing her back.

Yami felt like a puppet in his tight grip. She could barely move from tiredness and cold, and so she just endured it, sitting in his lap and trying not to enjoy it. Finally he was not allergic to body contact, and wasn't that what she had wanted for the whole time? It was rather nice to be touched and she didn't really want to disturb that somewhat peaceful atmosphere, so shouldn't she enjoy this special treatment?

But the fact that he actually had the upper hand upset her. Feeling like a puppet didn't belong to her collection of "feelings I like to have", and him dominating her constantly nagged at the back of her mind.

She just couldn't let him do that. She had to do something now, something to get him out of this awfully good mood that made him cocky as hell. She didn't know what had triggered it in the first place – perhaps just the fact that he was amused about her shivering in her sleep, that asshole –, but she didn't like it at all. She was still grumpy from not enough sleep and couldn't abide his behaviour now.

And she knew only too well how she could draw him out, ohh yes.

Well aware of his face so near hers, she lifted her head so that she could look at him. His eyes met hers immediately, as if he wanted to ask whether something was wrong, and a little smile spread across her lips.

"Now would be a good time to pay me back that kiss you still owe me, you know," she said slowly, lifting her face up even more. They were only about two inches apart now, and she expected him to throw her away any moment as she watched surprise – and horror? – appear in his black eyes. _Damn, I'm hungry. Just let me go._

What he said next, however, was nothing she would ever have thought of.

A sigh left his mouth, warming her face where his breath met her skin, and he closed his eyes for a moment. She thought she had won and readied herself for the expected flight, or at least for being released from his hug, but then …

"Alright then. Will you leave me the heck alone with that matter if I give it to you now?"

She stiffened in his arms, deciding to clean her ears thoroughly the next time she got into a bathroom. She opened her mouth to ask him to repeat this, but his face already told her the answer; he really meant what he said.

Her brain somersaulted in her head as she tried to think of how she could turn the situation to her advantage. This was definitely not what she had expected him to say or do. Instead of releasing her, he only hugged her tighter as he waited for her to answer.

"I'm seriously contemplating it. But you really have to _give it to me_, no half-hearted actions, right?" she heard herself say almost automatically, making it sound like the most suggestive sentence on earth. This should suffice to scare him right out of his skin, or at least freak him out like it always did. If there was something in the world she could rely on, it was the cowboy hating her little ambiguities.

"About what are we talking, now?" he replied, and she gaped at him.

He smiled! He really, _really _smiled.

_Damn that unreliable bastard! _she bitched inwardly, which expressed itself only as a grimace of disbelief, gaping at him with her eyes and mouth wide open. She was still sure he wouldn't do it, that he would let her down any moment … until she saw that look in his eyes.

_Is he … serious?_

"I'm not able to kiss you properly if you open your mouth so wide."

She shut it straight away.

Not able to do or say anything, she just watched as his face slowly reduced the minimal distance between them. His smile was hypnotising, fascinating, intriguing, and coming closer with every heartbeat.

_I'm not ready for this!_

And closer.

She should agree with herself that this was what she wanted. She had annoyed him about it the whole time, she should be glad he was giving in to her right now, even if it felt like he was the determining one here. She had suggested it, wanting to tease him, and he had surprisingly agreed to her suggestion, so why then did it feel like he was still dominating her? Was it his firm grip around her waist or his hands on her back, pushing her even further up towards his chest? Were it his dark eyes, hooded in what seemed like slight satisfaction? Was it his natural smile, confusing her until she couldn't think straight anymore?

And closer.

This confusing feeling creeped her out. She wasn't used to confusing feelings. Usually she knew quite well what she felt, even if she wouldn't be able to describe it to others. And right now, she didn't even know it herself … But she really should be glad she had finally managed to persuade him, no?

Closer …

One second before the inevitable would happen, she closed her eyes with the tiniest sigh she had ever emitted. And decided she would enjoy it as best as she could. She shouldn't make so much trouble about a little kiss, now should she?

She finally gave in.

_He'll do it, he'll really do it …_

This little breakable moment, however, showed its whole fragility when it was disturbed by a sudden rumble underneath them. The ground started to shake, and …

* * *

_What the fuck!_

Ace's eyes shot open in an instant. Seeing her flushed face right in front of him, he jerked his head away and turned around, looking in all directions. The deep frown on his face already told that whatever disturbance there was, he would wipe it out with pleasure.

_Just that one moment! The hell!_ he cursed inwardly as he slowly took Yami by the waist and set her in the sand beside him. She let him do, which confused him for one moment – until the disturbance manifested itself in the form of a monster shooting right out of the ground next to them. An ugly, scaly monster, about twenty metres long, as far as he could judge. A giant snake. It was royal blue with orange spots on its back, and his equally orange eyes stared at the two pirates still sitting close together.

"This guy really needs to get a doctor quickly," he heard her murmur and suppressed a chuckle. He hadn't missed her puzzled expression the whole time, and even now, even in this state she could still be sarcastic – despite looking extremely perplexed from what had just happened. Or almost happened. He had managed to surprise her for once, effectively shutting her up as well as triggering that cute face she made now, flushed from whatever she had been thinking. Just this once he allowed himself to call it cute, because it really was. It was the face of a teenage girl being all sheepish and confused in front of her idol, and he had never seen it with her.

_Must be the early morning__ …_ But he definitely enjoyed seeing her so, kind of, helpless.

However, the idiot snake now had them in her sights, its forked tongue flickering through the air with an unmistakably aggressive hiss, and he had the feeling it wouldn't just go away if he asked it politely.

With a deep sigh, he got ready to stand up, determined to show this unapologetic creature that it was certainly not healthy to disturb him when he was about to kiss a girl, even if it was only Yami – who would claim her "right" for this missed kiss later along with annoying him to stupidity, undoubtedly.

He hadn't expected the girl jumping to her feet before he could even move. And in the next second, she was already running towards the giant monster, so small a figure against the snake's incredible hugeness.

"HEY!" he yelled after her on top of his lungs, ready to launch an attack at the monster himself.

"I told you next time would be my turn!" he heard her yell while coming to a halt in front of the creature.

Yes, she had told him that. Perhaps he should just enjoy the show. This sure was a good possibility to watch her using her abilities in a fight. He was really curious about what she would do against an opponent so much larger than her. Because surely she couldn't just shoo it away by twisting its shadow or the thing she had done with the Neptunian.

… but hell, he just couldn't help feeling anxiety creep upon him. She just looked so small, so helpless against this beast …

This was when she lunged out with one arm, fist clenched.

_The hell is she doing__! She doesn't want to defeat that thing with her bare fists, does she?_ he thought, gasping in shock.

Her arm straightened as she launched the punch towards the snake now looming over her, head bent down and looking greedy, as if contemplating whether it should swallow her alive or numb her with its poison (which it certainly possessed) and _then_ swallow her alive.

Ace gaped as her fist met the surface of the snake's skin, determination visible in her eyes even from where he stood.

And … nothing happened. Nothing except the infuriated "Oww!" that slipped from her mouth as she waved her hand wildly through the air in obvious pain.

_WHAT?_ the voice in his head shouted in disbelief. _WHAT THE FUCKING HELL?_

He heard her cry of frustration. "Fucking shit! Why can't that just work when I need it?"

He knew she was talking to herself, but what she said alarmed him. With a violent shake of his head, he took himself out of his incredulous rigidity and reached his arm out towards the animal – which was now lunging out itself. It would let his head and jaws crash down on her, then eat her, and he _so_ couldn't let that happen. "FIRE F –"

"DON'T YOU DARE!" she yelled at him, so loud that he broke off in surprise. He found her staring at him angrily; really, was this the right time to – "THIS IS MY FIGHT, AND I'M FINISHING IT!" she interrupted his thoughts, and again, he stood and gaped, unable to move, as the snake's head started to bolt downwards.

Towards where she was standing.

"SO JUST LET ME –"

"YAMI! WATCH OUT!" he interrupted her with a scream of horror, fear in his face as he watched her turn her head towards the threat. It seemed so slow, too slow, the thing would eat her any moment, she had no chance, he needed to do something –

* * *

Dangerously calm, Yami faced the oversized creature's jaws. She just hated these stupid desert beasts. They always had to pop out of nowhere when you at least expected it, and _of course_ they had to be toxic as hell, aggressive without any reason, and so damn conceited.

She was just so sick of that.

The second the snake's huge jaws threatened to touch her, she turned and lifted her foot in a swift and almost casual kick. She had learned that in one of the Taekwon Do trainings her father had given her, because a pirate girl had to be on guard all the time.

But now, she put all her effort in that one kick. Physical strength was secondary now, she knew that. So she concentrated all she had to do it right this time. She was still a newbie in that technique, and as she had had nobody to train her in it, she wasn't able to perform it every time she wanted. The punch had been too hasty; she had been overconfident in her own skills and hadn't concentrated enough. Embarrassing, yes – but well, she couldn't help it now.

However, that wouldn't happen this time. She was angry now, and above all, angry at herself, but in that moment, she directed all that anger at her scaly opponent. "DON'T YOU DARE INTERRUPTING ME AGAIN, MORON!" she yelled at it, her battle cry resonating through the air around her almost physically.

She knew it was a success this time when her still bare foot met the snake's wide-open lower jaw, and everything happened in a fuzzy blur. The monster's jaw closed with a disgusting snap before it could touch the ground – or her, that is –, its head jerked upwards in one swift movement, and the rest of the body followed suit.

She had sent the snake flying up into the sky, and as she watched its journey to far-far-away, she nodded in grim satisfaction. "Serves you right, asshole," she muttered after it before turning and wiping her palms against one another. She had finally done it, but it had been narrow. She knew she could just have vanished if the kick had failed, but that wouldn't have been the best option. It really was a pain that she couldn't pull stunts and act all show-offy like the cowboy when it came to fighting. Of course fire was more impressive, it could burn you and stuff, and her shadows were just different. But perhaps she had impressed him nevertheless?

Raising her gaze towards where she had left him, she started, "See cowboy, I told you I'd …"

Her voice trailed off when her eyes met his appearance, and she stopped dead in her tracks, her hands falling to her sides.

He was on his knees, arms dangling down, and looked as if he was in a state of major shock. With his expression blank like this and his mouth gaping soundlessly, she wouldn't have been surprised seeing a drop of drool running down his chin. Because that was exactly how he looked.

"Umm … hey, cowboy? You alright?" she asked cautiously and approached him slowly so as not to scare him in any way, but he just stared at her as if she was a ghost. _What the hell is wrong with him?_

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she repeated after her own thoughts, peering down on him with her head cocked to the side. She did not understand one thing of his doing. What the heck was this all about?

His mouth snapped shut, and he was on his feet in less than one second, so fast that she jumped in surprise. Towering over her, and with a low growl that seemed to come from the depths of his body, he grabbed her by both her upper arms. "WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU DOING?" he yelled right into her face.

She gasped as she stared at his angry expression with her eyes wide open. "W-What?" she stammered, not at all understanding what he meant, while his fingers dug painfully deep into the skin of her arms.

His eyes narrowed, contorting his handsome face into a grimace as he scowled down at her. "JUST WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? SCARING ME LIKE HELL! YOU SHOULD HAVE LET ME DO IT! THE FUCK, YOU IDIOT!" he went on yelling.

_Wait, what?_

"Wait, wha–" she asked but was cut off by his angry tirade, which was not over yet, apparently.

"THE FUCK!" he continued, never lowering his sound level but rather raising it with every word he said, so loud it rang in her ears just as painfully as his grip was to her arms. "YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! YOU IDIOT! YOU STUPID GIRL! YOU SCARED ME LIKE HELL! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED, AND THEN WHAT? JUST BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPID PRIDE? YOU ANNOY ME! YOU –"

That was when she saw no other way to shut him up than taking his angry red freckled face in both her hands, dragging it down, tiptoeing, and pressing her lips firmly onto his.

And oh, that so shut him up.

She smiled when she felt him go rigid in surprise. And yes, she was also surprised by her own actions. That had not been intended at all, it had just come over her. He had come over her, he and his odd confession. Because that's what it had been: a confession that he had been worried like mad. He had been worried about her, and so it seemed just right to kiss him for that. It was like this, thinking "Oh, I could kiss him for that" – and doing it straight away. She had always been an impulsive person.

She had shut her eyes in some kind of reflex, and when she opened them again, she smiled against his lips at seeing nothing but bewilderment and utter confusion in his wide-eyed gaze.

He tasted good, actually. And he smelled good. She should have done that earlier. Stupid snake. If she had known what she had just missed back then, she would have shown not one bit of mercy in front of the beast. Her whole wrath would have unloaded at the cocky creature. She would have shattered it into pieces, preventing her from doing something like this. This was good. His lips were soft and … hmm.

When she finally released him, it seemed like an eternity. A delicious eternity.

She chuckled at his expression and patted his cheek lightly before turning around to where her rucksack, her shoes and socks and one very frightened Lizzie were waiting for her. As if nothing had happened.

"What the hell!" she heard a hoarse voice behind her when she pulled her lipstick out of the rucksack, which made her laugh. She didn't know why, but somehow, she felt very happy now. "What – _what was that?_"

"I'm sorry, cowboy," she said and turned her head a bit, smile on her face while applying the deep red paint. "You just tempted me, and I was just before going deaf from all your shouting. I had to shut you up somehow. And you looked so cute," she explained and enjoyed the still bewildered expression on his face.

Hearing a low and angry growl, she added solemnly, "Oh, and by the way. That doesn't count as the kiss you owe me, you know."

"What?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yah, it doesn't count," she informed him with an affirmative nod. "Quite on the contrary. Actually, you owe me two kisses now, but see it as a present because you were being cute. I feel generous today."

"You – _what?_" he shouted.

She couldn't help it – she just felt like laughing.

* * *

**Author's note:** Whoa, that came quite surprising for me, too. It really wasn't planned, but I'm happy now :-)

I like the word 'shoo'. It just looks so cute!

_**Coming up:**_

"But why not? We're young, we're good-looking and we haven't _that_ much time …" – well, who could dismiss such an offer? xD

She didn't know why, but right now she just felt the persistent urge to tear something down. Something, yeah, preferably something ugly and orange. – And yet again … phew, Ace. Your hat is in serious danger!

"Hey, beautiful stranger," a voice said next to his ear, and only his magnificent self-control prevented him from jumping in surprise. – What will "beautiful stranger" do?


	25. Fuck You

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece.

* * *

**Chapter 25: ****Fuck You**

"I'm hungry!"

_Blah, blah, blah._

"I'm tired!"

_Blah, blah, bl–_

"And I'm melting!"

Ace sighed. "Shut up already, will you?"

He had discovered that his just-ignore-her-and-she-will-be-silent-tactic did not work at all. She was like this for hours now, or at least so it seemed to him. In the beginning, she had been silent, with a few sighs from time to time. And then she had started whining around.

"But I'm hungry!" she pouted and gave him an ungracious look.

"Then eat something." He was surprised about just how calm he could stay with so much annoying babbling non-stop. In fact, he wanted to shout at her, take her by the shoulders and shake her until her bones clattered against one another. But every time he was about to do just that, she would give him that pout which made her look like a little child, just like the way she was acting now. And his resolve would fade into nothing.

"We haven't _that_ much supplies, idiot!" she explained to him in an irritated tone, as if _he_ were the one acting like a child here. "We could run around here for days and never find a town! And I'm so hungry, and I need shadows for once because the sun is burning me to ashes, and here's just so boring …"

"How old are you, five?" he mumbled while shoving his hands into his pockets.

"And my legs are hurting …"

"Sit on the lizard."

"And I'm thirsty …"

"Drink something."

"And I'm so melting!"

"Well …" he started, but couldn't come up with anything for once. It was hot, and were he not equipped with his wonderful devil fruit powers, he would probably feel just the same. Hot as hell and just about to melt.

Yami gave him another of those ungracious glances. "You're not constructive at all!"

Ace just rolled his eyes, for fear of shouting at her if he opened his mouth.

"And you're annoying! Do something, Mister I'm-so-high-and-mighty-I-can-do-everything!"

There, in the distance! What was that?

"You're always such a show-off, and what now?"

"A town."

"Welcome on earth, you … what?" She stopped mid-sentence and turned around with a puzzled look.

"A town," he repeated and pointed at the spot. "There."

"A town!" she yelled and made a little jump. "A town! I'm saved!"

_Finally. I'm saved. _

"Come, Lizzie! Let's gooooooo!"

"Ah, wait, you can't just run off and …" His voice faded away as he found her already off, running at high-speed through the sand, lizard in tow. He watched her with raised eyebrows and scratched his neck. "And here I thought you were thirsty and so hungry you're just about to starve and your legs were hurting and you were melting …" he mumbled, then sighed. She was running ahead, which meant he had some alone time for once. He could even turn around and run away and … No, he couldn't, he remembered with a curse. Because she had all their supplies in her rucksack. And besides, the town could be ran over by the real Rebel Army and be hostile towards strangers with lizards …

"Ah, dammit," he said to himself and continued his way towards the town.

* * *

"A bed! How cool!" she cheered as she threw her baggage and shoes away and jumped onto the object of her affection. "Yay!"

The first thing she had done when entering the town was asking the way to a hotel where she could eat something – and prevent her body from dissolving. Lizzie had stayed in front of the town gates – God knows why – and she didn't bother with waiting for the cowboy. She had told one of the guards to tell him where she had gone. He would find her. Then, by finding the place, she had ordered everything from the menu and ran up to her room to take a shower first, but then the bed had distracted her.

"Woohoooo!" she exclaimed while letting herself fall onto the soft mattress rearwards, then stayed like this, arms and legs spread out and sighing happily.

"When you're done with fooling around, let's eat something," a voice sounded from the door she had left open, and she raised her head. "I'm next door, by the way."

"Huh? Oh, cowboy, it's you." She jumped down from the bed and snatched her bag. "I'll just take a shower and you should do the same, you smell!"

Ignoring his muttered "Whatever", she threw the bathroom door shut behind her and enjoyed her shower. She would have liked to take a bath, but she was horribly hungry and hot baths made you sweat also. So she hurried up, threw some clothes over her still half-wet body and made her hair up into something vaguely resembling a hairstyle. Then, after re-applying her lipstick, she burst out into her room again, not surprised at all to find her companion gone.

_Well then, he seems to have enough money to rent his own__. Didn't he say something like that?_ she thought and successfully fought the feeling of regret that started to spread in her mind. _Whatever! What do I care, anyway? He's just an idiot!_

Almost flying down the stairs to the hotel's dining room, she found him at a table set with … well, everything the menu could muster. And just as she wanted to scold him for starting without her, she noticed all the people around, staring at him as if they had seen a ghost or something.

"Don't worry, he's just sleeping," she informed them and took a seat at the table.

"Yes, but he just collapsed into his meal …" a small woman remarked timidly.

Yami put it off with a wink of her hand. "Yah, I know, I know. He's bothersome. Don't worry." She bent down to see what his face was lying in, and shrugged by noticing that it was just a drumstick. Had it been potato mash or something alike, she would probably have considered saving him from suffocating.

"Well, let's start!" she grinned.

He awoke a quarter later, looking confused and touching his greasy cheek. "What's that?"

"Be happy it wasn't soup," Yami said without looking at him, for she was busy with a piece of chocolate cake at the moment. "And how can you still be surprised when you're awaking like that? Shouldn't that be quite normal for you by now?"

"You're already at your dessert?" he asked, ignoring her question. "Why didn't you wait for me?"

"Don't sound so sulky. I could ask you the same," she responded with her mouth full.

He frowned and was just about to say something when he took in her appearance for the first time. "What the hell are you wearing?"

She stopped mid-chew. "Eh? What am I wearing?"

He shook his head in disbelief. "Go get some manners, crazy girl! Really, you're disgusting!"

"That's only when I'm hungry," she informed him with a careless shrug before swallowing the mouthful of cake. "At least I don't go around kissing … ah, sorry, I mean _attacking_ people like some other guy I'd rather not point my elbow at …" she grinned, pointing her elbow at Ace in a way that pretended to be scratching her neck.

"Blah blah blah," he put it off, trying not to get annoyed. "What's with that appearance, anyway?"

Yami looked down at herself in confusion, but she got what he meant when she noticed that she was wearing a pink frilly skirt with a khaki shirt – the wrong way round, so that the writing she knew read "Yeah, they're real" was now placed on her back.

"Whose skirt is that?" she muttered and made a face in disgust as she touched the frills attached to its edge. "So ugly!"

"You didn't notice it until now?" Ace asked with a puzzled expression. "It was you who put it on, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, but I just took something and threw it on …"

"You're strange," he stated. "And the headband?"

Yami took one hand up to feel her forehead, noticing the piece of cloth covering it and holding back her hair. "Well, I haven't the slightest idea. Does it look good?"

"Of … No, silly," he corrected himself, quickly turning his face towards his plate. She didn't notice him compressing his lips, and neither had she noticed his little almost-slip-of-tongue. She was more concerned with her own clothes combination.

"What colour is it?" she asked after a fruitless attempt to look up at it.

"Green."

"What green?"

"How should I know? It's not olive, and don't ask me what shade of green because I'm no freaking colour specialist."

"Very well then. It's doing the trick, so I'll just leave it." She finished her dessert and stretched her arms over her head with a sigh. "That was great. I think I'll go look for a bar now, it's almost dark outside …"

"I'd still change my clothes in your place."

"Wanna look?" she smirked and enjoyed the way his face reddened. In embarrassment or in anger, she didn't know and didn't want to. "No, seriously. You could spare us both time and just agree to sleep with me."

He let out a sigh of annoyance as he raised his eyebrows at her. "For the last time, _no_."

She pouted. "But why not? We're young, we're good-looking and we haven't _that_ much time …"

"Because," he said and shoved a forkful of vegetables into his mouth.

"Yah, right," she muttered. "You're so mature."

"You're not my type, okay?" he flared up. "And now leave me the heck alone, I want to enjoy the rest of my dinner without crazy people bothering me."

She threw him one last glance, her face not at all showing the feelings whirling around inside her head. Then, without saying a word, she left the table and managed to go up the stairs to her room without stamping in rage, where the first thing to do was throwing herself onto the bed head first. She didn't know why, but right now she just felt the persistent urge to tear something down. Something, yeah, preferably something ugly and orange.

"Asshole," she whispered while clenching her fists. "Stupid asshole."

She had never had problems with getting rejected, and she didn't know why she did now. She hadn't even expected him to accept the offer, and besides, he was a damn bad liar. She knew that, and yet she was pretty enraged.

"Not your type my ass," she muttered to herself and punched her pillow in lack of destructible objects in her reach – that means, a certain stupid black-haired, bare-chested idiotic cowboy with an equally stupid hat.

She didn't believe one word of that shit. He had gotten involved with her once, and she greatly doubted that his ideals and stuff had changed so much. And even if it had, what did it matter? It was just sex, meaningless sex to blow off steam. And seriously, he could so use that.

Grumbling incoherent things (mostly insults), she got up again and undressed. She would show that idiot that she wasn't just a moron who couldn't even dress. She would show him how she could dress! His eyes would bulge out, and he'd rue the day that he rejected her. Hah!

She grabbed her green Alabastan dancer's outfit and put it on, because she knew she looked just mind-blowing in that. Her light sandals, just thin pieces with straps of black leather, gave it the finishing touch. Standing in the bathroom in front of the mirror, she made a face at her reflection. "Hah! Just you wait!"

Then she cocked her head and looked at the headband she had forgotten to take off. "Silly my panties, you idiot! That looks freakin' hot!" But as it didn't fit the rest of her outfit, she took it off and let her hair fall openly onto her shoulders. A new dose of lipstick finished her get-up.

"Just you wait," she repeated, but when she realised what she was doing, she stopped short. She was actually dressing up to impress the cowboy, wasn't she? Yes, there was that thing with getting rejected and lied to by him, but since when did his opinion matter to her? Since when did she set great value upon someone else's opinion, and a stupid idiot's at that? She was independent, wasn't she? No need to impress anyone, right?

In that moment, she was short before throwing the clothes off again and dressing in the worst things she had, just because. Just to prove to him she could get a guy no matter what clothes, because she always looked great. She wanted to shove it in his face, to make him regret he didn't say yes.

But she didn't have to prove anything to anyone, either. And she hated him for almost making her doubt herself. For giving her a headache, however, she really did hate him.

"I don't care," she said aloud. "I don't care what you think, got it?"

Further thinking about the matter would just have put her down, so she made an effort and chased everything of this kind out of her mind. She was here to have fun tonight, and fun was what she'd get, stupid cowboy aside. And so she left her room without further thinking about changing clothes again, or about whether it would be good to accidentally meet him or not. She would not look out for him, though.

The bar she found was a bit shabby but not too much so, and there were many people around. Taking a seat at the bar, she ordered a glass of sake and let her eyes wander around the room. There were almost no women, so she earned herself quite a few curious glances. She was used to that. And, to be honest, she liked it.

* * *

He didn't know how long he had eaten, because he had fallen asleep once more in-between. But it didn't really matter. All that mattered was the enjoyable silence all around him, just disturbed by muffled conversations from the other patrons. All that mattered was that her annoying presence was gone. Feeling bad? Why – he had just stated facts. She really wasn't his type; he liked brunettes more. Dark brown eyes, and not so thin. Not that she was skinny, but almost. And larger breasts they should have. And if he had to tell it her over and over again just to drive her away and get rid of her, he'd do just that, over and over again. He should have tried it earlier.

With a contented sigh, he leaned back and considered going for a walk to look for a bar also. With a bit of luck they would end up in different places, and if not … well, he was in her way of hitting on guys anyway, and she was in his. So like hell would he sit next to her, which solved the whole problem.

After having exited the hotel's restaurant, Ace headed down the dusty street. It was already dawn, but the heat of the day still lingered in the air. There were people on the streets, but not as many as when he had arrived, and the town was relatively uninteresting. It was small and he had already forgotten its name. He just hoped that they at least had a bar somewhere. He could use a drink or two, and perhaps the girls were nice in here. It was quite a bit since his last time spending the night with someone, and –

Just rounding a house corner, he froze. There, in the middle of the street, was Yami going hand in hand with some guy and just about to enter a little house. She wore her green dancer's outfit with her hair loose, leaving him torn between amazement and hate. Amazement like when he had first seen her in that thing – she was breathtaking like this. And hate because that guy looked at her like he wanted to eat her.

_Disgusting_, he thought as they started to kiss wildly before the door had even closed behind them, then turned on his heel and headed off in the opposite direction, shoving his hands in his pockets. Well, obviously she had found a bed-buddy for tonight. How good for her.

He strolled around in the streets, not sure whether he really wanted to get anywhere. All he could think of was Yami and that guy, manifesting itself in pictures in his mind; pictures he didn't really want to see. And when he finally stood in front of a brightly alit bar, he decided that he could just as well go in, since he had nothing else to do. And why was he thinking of her, anyway? He hadn't wanted her – and still didn't –, so what was the matter?

He ordered something alcoholic – he really didn't care – and sat down in a corner. He looked at the people around him, but he wasn't really curious or anything. He just wanted something to drink and then another thing and another …

"Hey, beautiful stranger," a voice said next to his ear, and only his magnificent self-control prevented him from jumping in surprise. He turned his head and looked in the dark eyes of a relatively young woman, barely older than himself.

"Hey," he answered, just to be polite.

"Wanna go elsewhere?" she asked with a shrug of her shoulders that sent her long brown hair swinging around her head in a seductive way as she blinked her long lashes at him over slightly hooded eyes.

Without giving her a second glance, he turned his head away again. "Not interested."

"No?" she pouted as she pushed her hip to one side and bent over slightly, practically shoving her generous breasts into his face. "I think I could make you."

Ace grumbled irritated. "Which part of NO did you not get?" he snapped. "Push off!" And only his magnificent self-control, once again, prevented him from speaking his mind. Uncensored and without sugar icing.

The woman huffed, threw her hair in place, and went away. Ace propped his chin up on his palm as he downed his sake without spending any further thought about what had just happened. He was much more busy with trying not to picture the scene he had gotten witness of in his head over and over again. It really annoyed him, but why? What had he to do with the whole thing? Was it just another of these damned male-instinct thingies? Like, the urge to possess a woman even when you didn't even really like her? Like, don't anyone fucking dare touching her, but I also don't want to? Either way, it was annoying to no end.

He should try to get laid before the night ended. He really should. It was a healthy way to just let go and forget all that was fucked up; it had proven itself as such several times before already. Be free of all thoughts and worries; yes, that was nice.

But somehow he really wasn't the slightest in the mood now. Would he be better than her, then?

But then again, what did it have to do with her? Nothing. Not. A. Bit.

He growled and fished some coins out of the pocket of his trousers, throwing them on the table where he had sat at, and made his way out of the place.

* * *

Yami yawned as she exited the house and pulled the door shut silently. She didn't want to wake What's-his-name-again, that would only mean stupid questions and requests to stay for the night. But she had paid for a hotel room and she would use it, and besides, she felt so hot and sweaty and dusty as if the shower that afternoon had never been taken.

_Fucking desert__ once again_, she thought as she walked along the nightly deserted streets.

The guy had been surprisingly good, something she hadn't expected. But well, even if he hadn't been – it didn't matter anyway, since she would never see him again. Nevertheless, it was good for her and her mood. She actually whistled a bit on her way back to the hotel. And even the thought of the cowboy didn't really damp down her mood.

Dinner, booze, and sex. That's what she had needed, and that's what she had gotten. Yami was happy, even as she entered the entrance hall and made her way up the stairs to her room. Just a bit of warmth while sleeping, and she'd be as good as new tomorrow.

Slowly, she walked through the corridor, looking forward to seeing a real bed in a moment, but then her gaze was attracted by the door next to hers, and she stopped short.

_His room_, she thought with no specific purpose. And suddenly, she found it hard to go on towards her own door. Instead, she had to fight the urge to open this one and see if he was in there. Like on its own accord, her hand came up to lie on the wooden surface, touching it slightly. She could go in there now, and if he was there, they could talk, couldn't they? Just passing by and going to bed without any word seemed so sad all of a sudden. Shouldn't they reconcile with each other …?

But then, it had been him who had said these stupid things. It had been him who had been rude, so he should make the first step, shouldn't he?

And what was she doing, anyway! Standing there with her hand on his door like a stupid teenage girl all lovey-dovey and stuff! Just now, what was she doing? _Seriously, darling, something's darn wrong with you!_

With an irritated huff, she pulled her hand away with a jerk. _I'm so not doing that. He's probably not there anyway. He's probably found himself someone to have fun with. Well, have a good time, asshole._

She almost stamped over to her own room. Inside, she decided to take a shower first.

* * *

He heard her footsteps. He didn't know why, but he knew it was her walking down the hallway.

The sound stopped just before his door, and he wondered why. If she wanted to talk, she could talk to the wall for he wasn't going anywhere now, and neither did he want her in here. She'd probably just smell of that stupid guy. No, thanks.

He should turn around on the bed and try to sleep.

Or he could call her.

_Yeah, and then what? Apologise? My foot!__ Like hell I'm gonna do that._

When he heard the footsteps move on, he sighed and stared at the ceiling. No, he wouldn't apologise, he had done nothing wrong.

But why then did it feel as if he had?

* * *

**Author's note:** I really wanted to put some more in here. But it's already nine pages, and I think I should leave it at this. See you next time!

_**Coming up:**_

Slowly, he turned the handle until the door gave in and opened a gap to the room behind. And it was definitely the shower running. – And I'll definitely NOT spoil you any further. I just say, M-rated.

He was close now and she couldn't stop screaming. He reached his hand out for her, just like a claw it approached her, and she just couldn't move. – And now for something completely different?

"Oi, wait!" she called after him when she suddenly spotted two men dressed in Baroque Works uniforms coming their way, and he hesitated. – And yet again … Trouble?


	26. In My Head

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece.

* * *

**Chapter 26: ****In My Head (You Fulfil My Fantasy)**

Ace awoke with a huge yawn. Blinking lazily he noticed the streaks of sunlight glistening through the window, painting the white wall above his bed in a bright yellow. He wondered about what time it could be. Had he slept in?

"Damn …" he muttered and suppressed another yawn. Why had he slept so long? The sun was already up … Yes, it had been a long night for him – he couldn't sleep for a very long time, and now that was the result.

He jumped out of the bed and put on his trousers, leaving the boots aside. He didn't want to take a shower – he had done that just yesterday night. And besides, perhaps he should wake that annoying girl sleeping soundly in the room next to his, for God knew how long she would take to get ready for departure.

So he walked out of his room, pulling the door closed behind him, and stood in front of hers, waiting and listening whether he could hear a sign of life. But nothing, and he decided to just enter on his own. What could happen, anyway?

He opened the door as silently as he could, and peeked inside cautiously, just in case that she was sleeping naked, or undressing at this very moment. Because he could go well without becoming witness of such things, thank you very much.

But … nothing. Her bed was empty and made, and no sign of her anywhere.

"Yami?" he asked into the silence of the room as he entered it and made some steps towards the middle. "Uh, hello? You there?"

No answer.

"Yami?" he repeated, louder this time, and looked around for her things, or any other sign. Could it be that she was … gone? Had he done something wrong, or …?

That was when he heard the soft sound of water running, and looked to where the bathroom door was. Yes, it was definitely water, wasn't it? She was in there, yes? Not just … gone without a word of goodbye.

Somehow, he felt relieved. He would have deserved a goodbye, that's what he said to himself. After so much time of her bothering him, he would really have deserved that. But still … He should go check whether she was really in there.

Suddenly nervous, he made his way towards said bathroom door and, standing right before, hesitated. What if it wasn't her? Was he even in the right room?

_Bullshit_, he scolded himself. _Just look, won't kill whoever is inside._

Slowly, he turned the handle until the door gave in and opened a gap to the room behind. And it was definitely the shower running.

_Just one look to make sure …_ he told himself before sneaking a peek inside. Slowly, slowly, and …

There was someone in the shower, but the rippled glass made it impossible for him to recognise who it was. A woman, that at least. Dark hair …?

He really should go check who it was, right? Perhaps it wasn't her, and then he should get away from here to look for her, shouldn't he? But he couldn't wait until this person was finished, he really couldn't. He needed to know, and now.

Technically it could be her, but one could never be sure.

Slowly, and cautious to make no sound, he moved forward like in a haze. His feet moved by themselves, and he saw his hand reach out towards the glass door.

Gripped it.

Opened it.

And …

Standing before the shower, he couldn't move. He couldn't even tear his gaze away from the scene unfolding right in front of his eyes.

Yes, it was Yami standing in the shower, with her back towards him. Still he could tell. Her hair was flat and dark from the wetness, and as she sweeped her hands through it, some droplets came flying towards him.

He saw her perfect little butt, partly covered by soapy foam, and the beginning of the soft rising of her breasts from the side. Oh, and he liked what he saw. It made him want to touch her, to caress that graceful body of hers, to become wet with the water that covered it. He envied that water right now. How dare it touch her so cheekily, without his permission? It should be him touching her. He should replace that water with his hands, his mouth, his skin …

That was when she turned around and saw him. She should be surprised, because usually you were surprised if someone you really didn't expect now just opened the door to your shower and stared at you like you were some kind of very deliciously looking chocolate cake … but if she was, she didn't show it, not at all. Instead, a slow smile immediately spread on her face as she looked at him and turned around completely.

And what was the use of a brain now? He couldn't remember. Perhaps he should, but hell, he had forgotten everything in the moment that wonder of a body faced him. Those dark pink nipples, erect in the cold air draught that stemmed from the open shower door, in the middle of so delicately round concavities … The flat belly, leading to the shaved triangle of her private parts, exposing the slit below … Oh, and the way her hair curved on her shoulders, waved by the water constantly pouring down on her … Her eyes with that seductive flash, inviting him to come join her and feel things he had cherished secretly for more than three years now.

When she reached her hand out for him, he was already without his trousers. And in the next moment, he was inside the small, glass-confined cabin, and the water he had so despised was now pouring down on him as well.

None of that mattered when she moved closer to him and he felt the soft firmness of her breasts pressing against his chest. One of her hands moved behind his back, sliding downwards and grazing his tattooed skin ever so slightly until it reached his backside. Squeezing once, she pulled him closer towards herself, making his newly awakened and massive erection push hard against her abdomen. He gasped.

A brain? What was that good for, anyway?

Her other hand came up for his neck and pulled his head downwards to meet her lips in a fierce kiss that almost burned his insides. She opened her lips for him to enter, and that he did willingly. He let his tongue sweep around and explore her oh so warm mouth, all that sweetness was almost to much for him to bear. Until she stopped his exploration tour by suddenly taking him by surprise and sucking hard at his tongue, while at the same time wrapping one leg around the back of his thigh, pressing him even closer against her own body. The low moan resounding in the shower, he realised, came out of his own throat.

Like in a daze, he bent down and kissed the spot at her throat just beneath her left ear and was rewarded with a gasp. Grinning against her skin, he kissed and licked his way down her neck to her shoulder, and even further down. He yearned for having his mouth on one of those beautiful globes of hers, preferably both at the same time. But as that was pretty much technically impossible, his hand would do also. He shifted it around her side where it had lain on the small of her back and further up, until the soft flesh rested in his palm.

But he wasn't satisfied yet. With one look up at her lovely flushed face with the slightly gaping lips still curved up into the most seductive smile he had ever seen, he went further down, his mouth eagerly kissing and licking every inch of her skin he could reach until it got at the very spot he was heading for. With a contented groan, he embraced her hard nipple with both his lips, eliciting a moan from above. His hand started toying with the other side, and he closed his eyes, concentrating at his luscious activity and those sweet little moans she uttered. When he switched sides her hand buried itself in his wet mane, clutching his head further to her breast, but after a while she started tugging him upwards. He gladly obeyed and straightened himself to be greeted once again by her sensual and eager lips.

"Oh God," he growled as they parted, looking her deep in the eyes while his hands were entangled in her hair to hold her head in place. "I will make you mine. I will make you mine so that no one will touch you." He emphasised his words with a little nip at her neck that made her body tremble ever so slightly.

"Can't wait." Her voice was low and rough from lust, which only managed to turn him on even more. If that was possible.

"I will fuck you so hard that you won't be able to sit, so that you won't have time to go visit other men," he continued and squeezed one of her breasts, making her moan. "I will satisfy you so damn well that you won't even think about going somewhere else for – AAAH!"

All of a sudden, too fast for him to catch up at the moment, she let herself fall down on her knees, leaving him to brace his body at the cold tiles of the wall. And with a mischievous little grin up at him, more erotic than anything else, she opened her mouth and swallowed him wholly.

He screamed out loudly as a wonderful feeling took possession of his body, electrifying his every vein, making him burn. She started to slide her tongue up and down his length while bobbing her head, sucking him in and letting him out just to start all over again, and he felt like dying from pleasure overload.

"Oh … God!" he screamed in pure bliss, let his head fall back and closed his eyes to enjoy the flaps of her tongue without distraction. "Oh God … don't … stop …"

She was making him crazy. Why hadn't he allowed her to do that earlier? It was the best thing he had ever felt. He would go nuts if she kept that pace up, but he couldn't help giving in to it. His hips bucked automatically to the rhythm she set up as he screamed his pleasure out. All he felt were her lips around his shaft, her tongue sliding up and down his length while its head thrusted against the back of her palate over and over again, each stroke taking him further down the orgasm road, setting him on fire. His skin steamed and hissed from the heat he was emitting and the droplets of water touching him.

"Ahh … Yami … don't stop … don't … ever … stop …" he moaned with his hand on the back of her head as he felt the well-known tension building up inside him. Just a bit more and he would come into her mouth, just a bit, and …

Ace gasped as he shot up in his bed.

He was wide awake, panting heavily while he looked around frantically, his eyes wide open. This time, in reality. And just as real was the painfully throbbing hard-on between his thighs, straining against the confines of his trousers he had kept on as he had gone to bed the night before … this night. God, he was so aroused that two or three strokes with his hand would be enough for him to spill all over the place, he figured.

_Damn, damn, damn. What__ the fucking hell? Who would dream together such stupid shit?_

But stupid or not, somehow he wished he could at least have dreamt it to the end, so that he wouldn't have to do the work himself now.

_That's __idiotic … Am I really thinking that right now? Damn, I should just have taken that woman yesterday … _

And had he known about such incredibly disturbing dreams, he would have done just that. Now he could just as well finish it and sleep peacefully at least until the sun would rise …

Sighing, he opened the zip of his trousers, palmed his erection and was just about to start bringing it to an end when a loud cry resonated through the air. A very loud cry. And damn, he knew that voice.

* * *

Yami was at Mahogany Island.

She was standing in the crowd; the nasty, vile bodies of the people rubbing against her just like in her memories. She could barely see anything, and perhaps it would have been better if she hadn't seen anything at all.

The people were cheering and howling like a pack of untamed dogs; dirty, stinky, disgusting dogs. No one paid any attention to the little stranger in their midst, no one at all. No one noticed the strange expression on her face, hard and empty.

Her eyes were glued to the scenery that was about to take place. The elevation in the middle of the place, clear for everyone to see – everyone who was not eleven years old, that is. The people on it, waiting for their end to come.

It had happened so fast – even in her dreams, she only watched but couldn't really see anything. She saw the tip of the blade flashing in the sunlight as the man raised it high above his head. Then, all went still in anticipation. All went so terribly still – and her world stopped at the moment the blade swished down silently. Uncannily. A gross slashing sound. Blood splashing everywhere. Splashing onto her. She took her hands up to protect herself; so much blood, where did all that blood come from? It dripped down her hair, over her cheeks and into her eyes, blinding her. She wiped them in growing panic. She couldn't see anything …

And when she opened her eyes again, there he was.

The General, standing at the end of a pathway the crowd had formed to let him through.

So silent. Not a sound from anyone. Even the birds had stopped chirping.

He smiled. He always smiled, the General. He smiled because he knew. He knew who she was, and now he had come to get her. To take her away, out of this world, to join the others. He knew. And therefore he smiled.

He came nearer, and she couldn't move anymore. Not a sound, not a fucking sound, as if he was flying. Like a ghost. The ghost of her past coming to catch her. And she couldn't run. Her eyes wide, she watched him coming closer.

She screamed. As if that would change anything. Nothing. It changed nothing. Only the smile on his face grew bigger. Because he liked it when they screamed.

He was close now and she couldn't stop screaming. He reached his hand out for her, just like a claw it approached her, and she just couldn't move. It came closer and she closed her eyes. She didn't want to see it, see _him _anymore. It gripped her shoulder, and she screamed on top of her lungs.

"Yami," he said, his voice unreal and cruel and mocking, "Yami …"

And then it was over, and she was free.

"AAAH!" She jumped up from where she was – and met a rock-hard something head-first.

"Oww!" someone howled, and she opened her eyes. Furiously blinking, she took in her environment – and found that she was in the hotel where she had fallen asleep. Still there, nowhere else. And right beside her, clutching his head and muttering curses, was Ace.

She was breathing heavily and noticed she had her hands taken up as if to protect herself. She lowered them and stared at her blanket. It had just been a dream … just a dream. It hadn't happened, not really. Mahogany Island was long gone. Past.

"What was that now?" Ace asked, and she was surprised about the sudden concern in his voice. But hell, never had she been so glad to see him.

"Why?" she breathed, for she hadn't yet discovered how to form whole sentences.

"You were screaming. I thought you were attacked or something. Is everything okay?"

"Dream," she whispered, still too confused to feel stupid. "Just a dream." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Everything was okay._ He_ couldn't harm her. Just the same dream over and over again. As always. Everything was okay.

She blinked when she felt the mattress going down next to her. Ace had sat down on the side of her bed and was now looking at her with such a worried face that she would have laughed at another time, but not now.

"You're crying."

"Am I?" she mumbled and touched her cheek. Yes, she was.

He bent over and took her hand, then brushed her tears away with his thumb while looking so worried that her heart felt like it was squeezed hard. She really wasn't used to being cared for, not at all.

His eyes searched hers in the dark, and she was so glad that he was there, even if she hated being so vulnerable. Without saying a word, he reached out and pulled her into his arms, and she let it be. It felt right. Safe.

* * *

Crying. He hadn't thought he'd ever see her like this. Vulnerable like a little mouse facing a snake.

She was shaking. He touched her bare arms and rubbed them softly, but they didn't seem cold. It was fear that made her shake, and he frowned as he thought about what could bring someone like her to tears.

"What was it?" he asked cautiously. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

He expected her to laugh at him, or at least push him away. He had nothing to do with her things, and even if he was really curious, she would probably stay silent.

He hadn't expected her to let out a sigh and say, "I was eleven when they were executed … murdered …"

But that was exactly what she did.

"Who was murdered?" he asked calmly, his eyes never leaving her face..

She sniffled and looked to the side. "My parents. _He_ did it. He executed them, but it was murder. I hate these fucking Marines. I hate them! They're all just the same, murderers in uniforms, and _he _is worst of all …"

Ace held her tighter as she started to sob. Sometimes you just needed something like this. He drove his hand up and down her arm in a comforting gesture, waiting for her to go on, but she didn't. And no matter how curious he was, he wouldn't press her into it. He had all forgotten about his dream from before. It didn't matter now.

"I … I'm okay now," she sniffled after several minutes and sat up straight as she let go of him. She wiped her face with her forearm and avoided looking him in the eyes. "You can go to sleep again."

It was clear she was embarrassed, but he didn't care. "I'm staying."

"Really, cowboy, there's no need," she flared up in false rage. "You can go now, I'm perfectly okay."

He thought about the many times he or Luffy had woken up from a nightmare in the past, and how it had helped him just to know his little brother was there. It was comforting to have someone next to you, and so he decided he wouldn't give way one centimetre. "Move over."

"Really, you can –"

"I don't want to."

"But I'm –"

"I know."

She stared at him for some moments and he stared back calm and sincerely, until she finally sighed and made room for him on the bed.

He smiled as he climbed into the bed and lay down next to her. "Good night."

"Mmh."

* * *

The next morning, awaking was peaceful and quiet. At first Yami was surprised to find Ace in bed with her, lying half over her like a blanket that was just about to slip away, but then she remembered why. And flushed bright red in embarrassment.

_Really … what was I thinking? Crying like a damn baby …_

She looked down on his peaceful sleeping face and sighed. No matter what, the rest of the night had been dreamless and good. She had slept soundly, had been warm, and had been at peace with his presence near her.

"Thank you," she whispered and brushed the hair out of his freckled face. He scrunched up his nose in his sleep, and she chuckled at the childish expression. "Hey, get up. I think you want to set off as soon as possible, don't you?"

"Mmh," he sighed and squeezed his eyes shut once more as he nuzzled his face into the pillow.

She laughed and rumpled up his hair. "Come, come … I'm sure there's some coffee waiting for us."

She didn't understand one word of his mumbling, but something sounded suspiciously like "crazy" and "kill you". She grinned and shoved his arm off her so that she could stand up. Before he got a chance to really open his eyes, she was already dressed and had her things packed.

"Now should I go to your room and get your things? Or do you do that yourself?"

He was up in no time.

* * *

"So, how do you plan on travelling now?" she asked as they stood in front of the hotel. "We need to get your boat thingy, don't we?"

"Yeah. We have to go the whole way back."

"He's kidding me, right?" she muttered to no one in particular.

"Well, do you know a better way?" he shot back irritatingly friendly.

"Yah, indeed. And I'm just so glad you asked. Follow me."

She led him to the town's docks. It wasn't a huge harbour, but it would do as there were several boats fastened at the low wall that divided water and land. Yami grinned and turned to Ace, "See? Now let's get a boat and sail away."

"We need to get the raft. It's easier to handle, and it's faster. And do you have money to rent a boat?"

"Hellooo, Mister! Are we pirates or sissies?"

"Well, _I_ am a pirate. I'm not so sure about you, however," he grinned and she face-palmed.

"Yah, funny one. _Very_ funny. Get us one of these and we'll sail to the lower coast and get your stupid boat thingy."

He looked at her thoughtfully, then pointed with his forefinger. "Well, that's a good plan."

"Of course! At least I'm an intellectual sissy."

He shook his head, but she saw his broad grin as he walked away to get a hold of one of the boats' tows.

"Oi, wait!" she called after him when she suddenly spotted two men dressed in Baroque Works uniforms coming their way, and he hesitated.

"Come, hurry up, we'll get away before they're here …"

"Hey!" one of the two shouted when he realised they were just about to steal one of the boats. "Hey! Leave our ship or we'll hurt you!"

Yami worked hard to suppress the snort of laughter that just wanted to get out so badly, especially at the "ship", but succeeded. With one amused glance in Ace's direction, she said, "Let me handle this."

Stepping up to meet the two guys now running to reach them, she held up a hand to stop them. And, surprise, they really hesitated for one moment. "I'll make you an offer," she smiled at them, her voice dripping with sweetness like a spoon with honey. "You drive us down to the coast, and we'll not beat you up."

"Who are you?" one of them demanded, ignoring the threat. He was the taller one, with short blond hair standing out to all directions.

"Doesn't matter. Do you accept my offer?"

"Hey, we asked you something, brat! Be glad we don't turn you in to Crocodile! And now piss off!" the other one, an as-large-as-wide type, cut in and waved about with his fat forefinger extended towards her.

Yami stopped him with her fist in his broad pancake-face while concentrating on applying her other technique, and sent him flying into the next house wall. "How rude," she remarked calmly as she looked after him. "I was just talking to your friend here. Besides, your Mister Croc will soon be a dirty spot in children's history books, just for you to know so that when it's too late you can't say nobody warned you."

Then, turning to the other Baroque guy who gaped at her as if he was dumb, she repeated her question. "Well, man, your friend said no. Does he speak your mind too, or are you more sensible than you look like?"

He just nodded vigorously, and she made a gesture to sign that he follow her while Ace stood there with his arms folded and a large grin on his face. "You've officially earned your promotion from sissy to pirate."

"Well, isn't that great. Look, found us a chauffeur."

* * *

**Author's note:** Now you see what's up with this M-rated thingy. I just had to do it. See ya next chapter!

_**Coming up:**_

She was annoying most of the time, really so, but perhaps, which meant possibly, he started to think her a bit likeable. – haha. Ace likey-likey.

She tugged at Ace's sleeve, who was just about to start settling things with this guy. She was so tired of it. Men were so easy to aggravate. Although, somehow his protective attitude was funny. – Yeah. And sweet.

"Didn't I tell you … I don't need you to … do this," she uttered between almost-moans she just had to suppress, while her nose was buried in the crook of his neck. – teehee. Also sweet.


	27. Snowfights And Night Walks

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece.

* * *

**Chapter 27: ****Snowfights And Night Walks**

"Never thought travelling with you would be so boring."

"Yeah, well. You could've asked."

"So boring," Yami muttered and shifted on her "seat". "Why don't we …"

Ace turned his head and threw her a sharp glance, already guessing what she was talking about.

"… play cards or something?"

"Oh," he said and raised his eyebrows, surprise written all over his face. "Well, I'd like to, but I need to concentrate."

"Aww, come on! As if this was so difficult! We're just driving in one direction, what's so hard about that?" she pouted and fidgeted around again. "Are you even paying attention to where we're heading?"

"Yup." Ace looked at the log pose and nodded silently.

"You're only checking every half hour or something, let's play something …"

"Can you please be silent?"

Yami huffed in annoyance. "Meanie! Then could you at least hurry up? This boat thingy isn't comfortable at all, you know?"

"Yeah, because it's a one-man raft," was his calm response.

Yami grumbled and shifted again. Really, she knew why he had to take the front (and only) seat … but why did he want to keep this, anyway? It was his fault that right now her butt felt like it had been ran flat and concreted over. Sitting in this place and having to hold on to the mast to not lose her grip … she really knew better things than that. Oh, and he was absolutely not talkative today. They had passed the time when the Baroque Works agent had rowed them to the lower coast in silence since they didn't want the guy to know anything about them, of course. But she had hoped he would talk to her when they had gotten on the raft, since they had to drive for quite a long time and were all by themselves.

Yes … three hours already, and all that came from him were muttered remarks about how fast they were and sometimes a "mhm" as response to her talking. That means, in the beginning when she had still talked. After finally finding it hard to talk to someone who just didn't really seem to listen to you, Yami had resumed to just leaning her forehead to the mast and trying to sleep. But then again, she was scared she would fall into the sea, seeing as she sat on the lower part of the raft like one would sit on a horse. If the mast weren't there, she would probably have fallen down long since. And who would save her, then? Surely not he.

Yami sighed and let her head fall onto the wooden surface of the mast. Fast? Fast was something else.

* * *

Ace looked at the log pose once again. He knew the direction and he also knew they were right like this, but still. He couldn't call it nervosity, but he also wasn't as calm as he wanted her to believe that he was.

His thoughts kept running back all the time, and he just couldn't help it. He thought about how vulnerable she had been last night, and what she had told him. As it seemed, it had been a Marine who had killed her parents eight years ago, but more he couldn't figure without asking her. Which he wouldn't do. Either she would tell him, or she would not. And no matter what … it wasn't his cup of tea at all, so why did he even think about it?

Ah, well. She was annoying most of the time, really so, but perhaps, which meant possibly, he started to think her a bit likeable. Just a tiny little bit. If she wasn't annoying him and making him want to bite her, and not in a positive way. Yeah, then. Perhaps.

But anyhow. What was with that stupid dream? It had absolutely nothing to do with her, right? It was just because he hadn't had sex for so long and she was the only girl around at the moment. Had he been on the Moby Dick, he could probably have dreamt the same with Haruta as main character … Uwg, he didn't even want to think about that. But still. Yes, Shadow Girl was attractive … if she wasn't just freaking him out. No man with functioning eyes in his head could deny that. So, wasn't that only natural? And he did know her in that special way. Even if it was three years ago. It was probably nothing wrong with remembering that; it had been his first time after all … Yet, what probably annoyed him most about that was, she probably didn't remember a thing of that night.

"_I couldn't forget that either …"_ she had said back on the Going Merry, but why should he believe that? Hadn't it just been a one-night stand, nothing more than that guy yesterday? And something you'd rather forget? He highly doubted that she actually remembered all those times she had slept with a guy. And he had been one of those, one of many.

Ace sighed deeply as he propped his head up on his hand. Why was he thinking such crap now? What did it matter if she remembered? Would it change anything? _Probably not_, he told himself and looked at the flames to his feet.

But yet … it somehow mattered to him in terms of male pride, that at least. Even if it was stupid, he couldn't change that. And with that thought came that little voice in his head, telling him to show her that he could do better.

"No way in hell!" he suddenly exclaimed with a deep frown, and heard a gasp from behind him.

"Dear me, cowboy! Want me falling into the sea?" Yami cursed and slapped him over the head.

"Oww! Quit that!"

"Then stop being such an idiot!"

"I'm not! If there's an idiot on this raft, it's definitely not me!"

"Yah, because idiots never realise that they're idiots, they're way too stupid."

"Island."

"WHAT?" she yelled and jumped up on her "seat" fearlessly. "WHERE?"

Ace pointed in the direction where he had just spotted the little change in colour.

"Oh yay!" she cheered and lunged forward to prop herself up on his shoulders.

"Stop that!" he said and tried to get her off. "You're like a little child!"

"Island, island!" she sang and patted his shoulders in a rhythm of her own invention. "So cool!"

"Yeah, cool, probably. Remember? Winter island."

"Oh!" she uttered and stopped short. "Then I need to get clothes and stuff …"

"We're not going there to go shopping."

Yami mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "Spoilsport", but he deliberately ignored her.

* * *

They moored the raft in the shrubbery at the rocky shore to hide it. At least they thought it was rocky, since it was covered with a thick layer of snow and only felt like hard rocks under the soles of their boots.

Yami pouted enviously as she eyed Ace with his long black coat on. Firstly she was envious because of the coat (it just looked so incredibly cool), and secondly, because he could afford to leave it open at the front. As he had done with his cloak in the desert of Alabasta, and as always. Really, she envied that bastard. While she did her best to wrap herself in her cloak as deeply as she could and not to freeze into an icecube, he walked around so carelessly as if nothing could ever change the temperature of his body in the least. And as far as she knew him and his abilities, that was probably only true.

"You coming?" he asked as he stopped on the top of that hill and turned his head, cocky grin on his cocky face. Only to get it wiped out right there by a large snowball flying his way. He wanted to duck down, but it was already too late …

Yami giggled as she saw her missile hit its designed target. He definitely needed something to remind him that only because he was faster didn't mean he could look down on her, not even when he was standing on that hill. And heck, she would be faster also if the snow melted at her touch like it did with his.

However, her enjoyment of the situation didn't last all too long as the snow, by touching his freckled face, gave one long hiss and dripped down as water immediately.

"Unfair!" she exclaimed and stomped with her foot. Snow was strewn around like powder.

"Yeah, well," he said dryly, his eyebrows raised at her like she were a disobedient child. "That's what happens when snow meets fire. Chemistry, lesson one."

"Unfair!" she whined when she saw him bending down and scooping the snow up with one hand. "Even more unfair! Why doesn't it melt now?"

A devilish grin spread on his face as he threw the ball in the air to catch it again. "Oh, didn't I mention that? I can suppress the heat I'm emitting …"

"That's so not fair!" she yelped when he, all of a sudden, threw the ball in her direction. It was so fast she almost wasn't able to properly dematerialise in time.

"Who's unfair, now?" he asked, grin still in place, already down to prepare more ammunition.

"Now we're even, that at least," she smirked and repeated after him.

* * *

_Half an hour (and many, many,_ many _snowballs) later …_

"Let's call it a day," Yami panted and let herself fall into the whiteness. They had fought without any break, and as much fun as it was, it was also exhausting and made their clothes dripping wet. Especially his, since every ball that had hit him turned to water the moment it collided with his skin.

"What, giving up already?" His smirking face came into her field of vision, and she lazily covered his boots with the cold powdery stuff.

"Shut up," she told him and rolled to the side when he tried to do the same with her face. "I guess we're even."

And they really were. Well, he had caught most shots, but you can't say they really hit him. She, on the contrary, had managed to evade most of his snowballs, but if they had hit, well, they had hit.

Ace let out a sigh as he threw himself in the snow next to her. "S'ppose you're right."

"Mmh." They were both silent for a few minutes. Then: "I really need to get a coat."

He chuckled. "You're a sissy."

"Oh, sorry, Mister I'm-so-cool-it's-freezing-all-around-me, but I'm not a living torch like you."

"Nah, it's _hot_, not _cool_." He threw her an amused glance from the side. "You of all people should know that. Why else were you snuggling up to me all night in the desert?"

"Idiot," she grumbled, but her frown got betrayed by her smile. "Well, whatever. I need a coat, and I need it now, so we'd better find a town somewhere here."

"We'd better find Marshall D. Teach somewhere here," he muttered, and once again they both were reminded of the fact that they weren't here to have some fun in the snow, and wasn't that a mood killer. At least, he wasn't here for fun. He wasn't so sure about her, however.

And now that he had reminded himself of that all, a strange feeling befell him. He couldn't quite place it. Shouldn't he hope that Teach bastard was here so he could give him what he deserved? And bring him back to Pops, be reunited with the crew, and that's it? Oh, and get rid of her on the way.

Some days ago, this had been his one and only wish. And now …?

He couldn't find an answer to that question.

"Okay," she broke the silence and jumped up all at once, her voice not at all revealing her feelings. "Last one up there's a pussy!"

And when he got up to chase after her, the grin was already back in place.

* * *

"There's your town," Ace said as he pointed at the smoke that arose over the treetops.

"W-Well, i-isn't that g-g-great," Yami murmured into her scarf which she had pulled up to cover her nose and protect her face from the cold. Her clothes were still wet from their snowfight, which was absolutely not helping. No need to say she was halfway up to become a freakin ice statue while cowboy here just looked as if he actually enjoyed this. He had dried his own clothes by pulling his little super-heater trick – meaning that they were _dry_, and hers were _not_. She had asked him to do it with hers too, which had prompted him to make a joke about how difficult it was to control the heat and how he could have her clothes burned away in a second – which was not funny. At all.

She had gone back on her request even if he had hurried to say he hadn't been serious. She liked her clothes too much in that shitty cold to risk them getting blown up, despite their wetness working against her momentarily.

Ace gave her an almost worried look. "You could just let me heat you up a little …"

"N-Normally I'd l-l-like to, b-but n-no thanksss. I d-d-don't like your w-way." Her teeth were chattering like mad, so she stopped talking and resumed to clenching them as hard as she could. She absolutely hated showing weakness.

He shrugged and walked in the direction of the smoke, and she followed him silently in spite of her body shaking like it wanted to win a dancing contest.

Several minutes later they stepped out of the forest they had walked through – and thank God, it really, _really_ was a village. Cosily huddling against the side of a mountain, the small settlement looked as inviting as an oasis in the desert; a bottle of ice-cold water for a half-dead, thirsty person; a fireplace for a frostbitten girl – which she was. She bet there were more than enough fireplaces in these sweet little cottages, and jumped with joy. Inwardly, since her bones were too heavy from the cold.

_Thank you, thanks a whole big fat bunch_, she thought to no one in particular. Sure thing these villagers were as nice as their houses looked like, they just had to be. They would invite them in, and she could cuddle at the fireplace wrapped up in a thick, heavy woolen blanket – and, looking out of the window at the white masses crowding outside, give that damn cold a one-finger salute. Really, what had come over her in Alabasta to actually wish for such crap? Now she'd give her right arm to just be back there. Just thinking of all that heat made her fingers tingle. Well, almost. At any rate, soon she would get what she needed so desperately.

They entered the streets, vaguely perceptible under all that whiteness, and made a beeline for the largest house at the street's end. The sign above the doorway read _Hotel_, just exactly the place they were looking for. If it had a bar on the ground floor, perhaps they could also gather information about Blackbeard's supposed presence on this particular island, but for Yami, all that was secondary at the moment. Getting warm was all she could think about.

When they walked through the hotel door, a rusty old bell made a sound vaguely resembling a dry cough, and the door hinges creaked appallingly and loud enough to replace the bell's obvious failure in function.

"Seems like this place isn't that popular," Ace mused and went on towards the dusty reception desk.

Yami exhaled slowly. It probably wasn't very warm in here, but even that made it a great deal warmer than outside. She closed her eyes and took both hands up to blow into them. She took it as a good sign that her breath didn't turn to a cold breeze right away.

"Hello?" Ace called … and they waited.

"I wanna go to my fireplace," Yami mumbled and rubbed her hands.

"What?" he said absently while his gaze wandered between the one door behind the desk and the staircase in the back. She knew he was wondering whether they should just go looking for someone, which was fine with her. Anything was fine with her as long as she got to her fireplace anytime soon.

And just as he spoke up to say they should search for any persons in here, they heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Oh, thank God," Yami sighed when an elderly, skinny woman with greyish hair tied to a strict knot came into sight. "Now don't tell me you're packed."

The woman came nearer with resolute little steps, and the frown on her face grew with every sound her loafers made on the faded carpet.

The two pirates looked at her expectantly. When she stood in front of them, she crossed her arms in front of her tiny chest and shook her head slowly. "You can't stay here."

Yami thought her ears betrayed her. "Are you kidding me?" she whined and her face contorted into a pleading grimace all by itself. "Please, I'm frozen to death –"

The woman repeated her action. "I'm sorry. But there's no way."

"But, but …" Yami babbled while her brain looked for appropriate arguments to convince this old hag that they just had to stay in here.

"I don't think you're fully booked, so what's the matter?" Ace spoke up on her behalf. "Besides, we're paying well, so I'd consider it if I were you."

The woman's unflinching eyes bored into his, and she took a step towards them which made them retreat slightly. "You cannot stay here!" she repeated, louder this time. "Go to the castle if you want, but don't stay here!"

"Castle?" Ace asked as they got urged out of the door. "What castle?"

As an answer the woman pointed up at the mountain without looking. "Don't stay in this village. Nobody'll host you. Just the castle. Go up there, but go now."

The door slammed shut behind her, and they heard the click as it was locked from inside.

"_What?_" Yami cried in disbelief. "What the hell was that?"

"I seriously don't know," Ace answered and stared at the door.

"This is a hotel, right? That just can't be! Let's go ask somebody else …"

"Didn't you hear her?" a third voice attended their talk, and they whirled around. A large man stood there, three equally tall and muscled individuals around him, in the exact same posture the woman had taken up and in their eyes the exact same hostility shooting sparks at them. "Go up to the castle and be his guests. Down here you won't get nothing from nobody, so don't waste your time bugging the people in this village."

"I'm sorry, but we just want a little time at a fireplace and we'll be off …" Yami started but was cut off immediately.

The man who had spoken came closer and planted himself in front of her in a way that could only be described as menacing. He cracked his knuckles and gave her a hard stare. "I won't say this another time. Get the hell outta here."

"She was just being polite, asshole," Ace intervened as he took position half in front of her. "But okay, we'll go to your freaking castle. Just what the hell is your problem?"

As the man let out a low growl, Yami rolled her eyes. She tugged at Ace's sleeve, who was just about to start settling things with this guy. She was so tired of it. Men were so easy to aggravate. Although, somehow his protective attitude was funny. "Let's just go, okay?"

After another three seconds of staring contest, Ace finally turned away. "Yeah, whatever."

As they went off to where the mountain loomed over them, they still felt the men's glances on their backs. It was as if the whole village was watching them through the windows of all these neat little houses.

"Creepy guys," Yami said, barely suppressing the chattering of her teeth. She looked up at where the castle sat on top of the mountain and couldn't help feeling a bit intimidated. It towered over them like a giant grasshopper ready to leap. And besides, she hated the fact that they had to climb all the freaking way up there – but at least she was going to get very, very warm on that long, long way up there.

"Damn right," Ace muttered with his hands deeply buried in the pockets of his coat. "Dumbasses."

"Just let them be. We'll be in a castle, that's so much cooler. Aren't you the optimist here?"

"With our luck today they'll just throw us down again," he went on muttering. "And hell, will you stop for just a minute?"

"Stop? Why?" she asked and turned to him with surprise written all over her face, but nevertheless did what he wanted.

One second later she knew why. He was there quick as lightning and wrapped himself around her like the blanket she longed for, only so, so much warmer. And he still got warmer.

"Didn't I tell you … I don't need you to … do this," she uttered between almost-moans she just had to suppress, while her nose was buried in the crook of his neck – of course he didn't have to wear a scarf.

"You did, but you're so getting on my nerves with this," he responded on a growl. "So don't make a fuss now. I promise I won't burn your damn clothes."

"Idiot," she sighed and just enjoyed the heat radiating through her body that almost made her emitting sounds that usually were restricted to bedrooms. Why did his warming her up always have that effect on her? It felt like being touched in the most intimate way – only better. Evoking such a sense of pleasure her hormones were probably just joining her blood in dancing the tango inside of her body. And she just couldn't help any of it.

"Turn around," he said after some time, his breath making the hair above her right ear flutter a bit. His voice was calmer this time, as if concentrating on this was putting him at ease. Or, at least, distracting him well enough.

She did as he said, and surprise – the clothing down her front was dry now. It just felt gorgeous.

He did the same with her back while holding her in place with his arms around her shoulders. Yami actually closed her eyes and leaned her head back so that it rested against his shoulder, taking a deep, satisfied breath.

When he let her go, she could have whimpered protestingly, but well, at least she was all dry now.

"So let's get up this freaking mountain," he sighed and turned around to walk the talk when she grabbed his arm, abandoning herself to an impulse. He looked back at her with a confused frown on his face.

She just smiled. "Thanks."

He shrugged, but the corners of his mouth twitched conspicuously. "No biggie. Now come, it's getting dark already."

* * *

When they reached the castle, it was already so dark that it was a little wonder they had arrived there without any serious scratches or injuries. Or involuntary leaps off the mountain, for that matter. But as things were, Ace's physique had demanded that he rest for at least ten minutes – namely, he fell asleep again, leaving Yami cursing and stomping and playing with the thought of punching his peacefully sleeping form.

And now, as the building was bathed in the dim light of the moon, they got to see how big it really was. And it was _huge_.

The windows were unlit, which made it seem even more uncanny, and furthermore adding to their growing feeling that there was nobody in there and they had come up here all for naught. Or the housekeeper, surely as uncanny as the whole thing, would throw them out again because the villagers had taken them for a ride because they were dumbasses and jerks and mischievous and probably just laughing their ass-faces off.

Ace led the way towards the entrance and Yami followed him, dragging her feet. She was tired almost to the state of coma and just hoped she could get a nice long nap by a nice warm fireplace. But before, she had to eat something, which they hadn't done on the way because they had had to hurry to be up here before darkness.

When he banged on the door with the brass lion head doorknocker that seemed to stare at them with ruby eyes, the noise probably resounded through the whole castle. Then, all of a sudden and probably just two seconds later, the door was ripped open and Yami made a little jump with shock.

But in the doorway wasn't the guy they had both expected. No black frock coat, no snow-white hair, no wrinkled hands and face, no haughty attitude, and no body that was so wiry you would think of using it to build a fence. Instead, a relatively young, slender guy dressed in white linen clothes looked at them with actually a little smile on his face. One thick strand of his light blond and shoulder-length hair was hanging down his face, covering one of his eyes. Sure thing he wasn't much older than twenty; much less younger.

"Why, hello," the guy said in a smooth voice and sidestepped to let them in. Yami could barely believe her eyes. "Do come in, will you? My master is awaiting you."

Her mouth opened and closed fish-ashore-style. She couldn't believe they finally had some luck. Gaping at the guy, she allowed Ace to grab her wrist and pull her inside, for her feet momentarily disobeyed.

They were led through a long hallway, all decorated with portraits and tapestries and empty suits of armour which brought back that creepy feeling. Well now that was pretty cliché.

Finally, they reached a brightly lit hall. The large table inside was laid out for three. And at the head end sat a handsome, lushly-brown-haired man whose equally brown eyes flashed with amusement as he stood up to greet them.

* * *

**Author's note:** So my very first adventure's getting started … Let's leave it at that. I'm tired.

_**Coming up:**_

The more he listened to their shameless flirting, the more he felt the urge to throw up right on the plate in front of him. – Ha, I bet he wouldn't like that.

Then, he thought, he would go to bed and try to sleep. And perhaps accidentally burning something to ashes. – Angry Ace! I love angry Ace.

_ACE!_ she yelled mentally. _GET YOUR FUCKING ASS DOWN HERE AND KICK THIS BASTARD INTO THE SEA!_ – She's really not the damsel-in-distress type, but then again … ah, I won't spoil. You'll be in for a whole load of suspense next time.


	28. The Octopus Incident

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece.

**Author's note: **Hey, I'm back and it's time for a little Bleach crossover. Why? … Because, period. If you don't happen to know Bleach, don't worry, it's totally peripheral. Enjoy.

Oh, and it's 12 pages on Word to make up for the delay. I'm really sorry. Thanks **anna**, for being this story's 100th reviewer, and thank you all for your support so far. Makes me happy *wriggles Chopper-style*

* * *

**Chapter 28: ****The Octopus Incident**

"Welcome to my humble abode," the man said as they were led into the hall by his servant. "I hope your journey was not all too troublesome."

His smile flashed bright teeth, and his eyes seemed to sparkle. To some women he could definitely go for attractive, Ace thought, and not only because he, well, owned a castle.

"We're used to harder things, thank you," Ace responded and took the guy's white-gloved hand as he offered it.

When he took Yami's, however, the man's smile grew even broader. "Milady, your beauty exceeds everything that decorates this house. I am pleased to have you embellishing my home tonight." And he breathed a small kiss on the back of her hand.

"Well, thank you," she smiled back, and Ace frowned. Shouldn't that be the point where she started to stutter and blush like a normal girl? Oh, but what was normal about that woman anyway. Besides, the guy's attitude annoyed him already. The trail of slime he was leaving behind was so thick one had to pay attention to not slip and fall face-down into it.

The pirate cleared his throat to break that silence filled with strange eye contact on the part of the other two persons in the room. "So, what have we done to deserve such a welcome?" he demanded, and the castle owner was forced to raise his glance towards him. "And moreover, why did the village people send us up here instead of letting us take a room in the hotel?"

"Well," the man smiled, "that would be because I told them to. My home is so secluded that it does not happen frequently that travellers come by, and I love their stories. In return, the villagers receive my thanks."

Another white-robed servant entered the hall with tablets on both hands. He was no more than a boy, his white hair standing in all directions and not bigger than a twelve-year-old. But his bright green eyes had a graveness to them that made him seem like ten times his age, whatever it was. "Master, it's arranged," he told the man with a bow and placed the tablets with steaming cups and a teapot on the large table.

"So bring forth the meal," the castle owner nodded to him, suddenly gone all high-and-mighty, and Ace just couldn't help feeling a slight aversion against the guy, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The boy bowed anew before handing out the teacups to his master, Ace, and Yami, who took it with an eagerness that reminded of a little child grabbing for a lollipop.

"Ah, sorry, but could I sit there for a moment?" she then asked and pointed at the fire that was flaring in the fireplace. "I'm actually positively freezing."

"Be my guest." And his smile was back in place as he cast her an ardent glance. Then he looked over to Ace. "Of course the same goes for you, my friend."

_Friend? What the heck?_ "No thanks," he replied and his attempt to not let his voice sound like it was covered with a layer of ice completely failed. "I'm not cold at all."

"Of course," the man said and sat back on his chair. "By the way, I have not properly introduced myself. My name is Lord Aizen Sosuke, owner of Turquoise Island and admirer of all that is beautiful and interesting. I am very glad we happened to cross paths."

"Owner of the whole island?" Yami inquired and raised her eyebrows from where she was sitting and warming her fingers.

_Turquoise Island?_ Ace thought. No name more unfitting for this place. It was white, nothing but white, white as the servants' robes and the boy's hair.

"Why, yes," Aizen answered, deliberately ignoring his two servants carrying in all kinds of edible things the sheer look of which was enough to make both their mouths water. And the scent almost made them drool. "This island belongs to the Aizen family for more than five hundred years."

"Ah," Yami said, obviously for lack of other things to say.

"Now, it would be a pleasure if you dined with me. Toshiro?" Aizen gestured for his white-haired servant to fill three glasses of red wine, which he did without looking at his master. He didn't look at him at all, Ace noticed. But then again, perhaps that was an order. Wealthy guys often had flaws like that. Money made you strange.

Then dinner started. Yami dug in her plate in a manner that made Ace – who really wasn't the one with the greatest table manners here – almost face-palm in embarrassment. Aizen continued to compliment her around the terrestrial globe, and she, after having finished her feast, actually responded. Ace gritted his teeth. Of course she thought he was worth a lay. Of course. To her, anyone was. And why should a guy who owned a castle make any difference?

"I have never seen a woman more beautiful than you …"

_Oh, please. You only say that to get her into your bed. _

"Well, probably you don't see many women up here, no?" Which was accompanied by her sticking her finger into her mouth to lick away the sauce covering it. When she drew it out, her tongue swirled around the tip. She grinned like a cat, and Ace was once more reminded of his dream, uh, nightmare the other night. He gulped hard and averted his eyes, staring his plate into pieces and trying to ignore the shudder that ran down his spine.

"Not many, no," Aizen said, clearing his throat. "Yet that does not imply my being unable to satisfy a woman's needs. In any way."

_Shut up, you bastard!_

And the more he listened to their shameless flirting, the more he felt the urge to throw up right on the plate in front of him. He couldn't eat anyway, he wasn't hungry at all. He didn't even want to drink the wine of that guy. He didn't want to sit on that chair of his, he didn't want to be in a room of his, and damn him if he didn't want to sleep in here tonight. But in fact he'd rather sleep in a bed of snow outside than in a bed that guy owned.

Oh, jealousy was a bitch, and it bit him hard. But then, on the other hand, didn't you have to be in love to feel that kind of thing? Or at least feel a bit of affection, or ownership about the person it concerned?

Yeah, ownership. That would be the key here. Fuck his male pride and territorial behaviour, she was not his. Not at all. More like she was everybody's. Wasn't there a switch of some kind he could just push and that stupid instinct thing was turned off? Because it annoyed him, it annoyed him a great deal. With every word that was exchanged, his anger grew more and more, and he needed so much self-control just to keep it at bay.

Fuelling his anger was the fact that that guy actually seemed to know what he was thinking, judging by the sly grin directed at him from time to time. Oh, he could explode. Literally. But he wouldn't give him that kind of satisfaction.

Ha, no, Yami would give him satisfaction. Tonight. Like that other guy in Alabasta.

His anger grew so hot that his vision got fuzzy, and he wondered if he was really exploding now. That means, before he recognised that special kind of thing, and short before he completely blacked out.

_Oh, crap …_

* * *

He awoke with a start. Which scared the blond servant, who was currently standing beside him with a napkin, to hell.

"Ah, you're back," a voice he certainly didn't want to hear now resounded from somewhere near.

"Sir?" the servant asked and made a hesitant movement with the napkin. Ace watched with a puzzled expression as he approached him and then wiped something off his face.

Ah, right. He knew what that meant.

"I fell asleep again," he sighed and looked down at the mess on his plate.

"Yes. It may seem you and your beautiful companion over here have something in common," Aizen said and Ace saw his little smile before he turned his head – only to see Yami slumped over her chair backwards, her head over the backrest and her mouth gaping slightly. A little snore escaped it as Ace watched her with raised eyebrows.

"Well, she did say she was tired," Aizen stated and dabbed his mouth off with a napkin the servant handed him after he was finished with Ace. "A pity."

_Yeah right. For you_, he thought maliciously as his inner self did a little happy dance. Outwardly, he just shrugged with an utterly expressionless face.

"Izuru," Aizen called out with a snap of his fingers, and his blond servant returned from behind his chair where he had positioned himself. "Take her to the room you have prepared for her. Assure yourself that everything is to her wish."

The servant nodded and went to pick her up. Suddenly, Ace felt a surge of energy flowing through his body, and he almost jumped up from his seat. Seeing her in that boy's arms just didn't feel right … _ah, fuck that! Freaking possessiveness!_

So he just watched as the servant carried her out of the room carefully and tried not to be angry at himself. That was not very helpful at the moment.

As his eyes focused on Aizen's face, who was looking at the now closed door too, Ace recalled the reason of his being here. And now that they were undisturbed (which meant that he didn't have to listen to that disgusting flirting and get mad at anything in his environment), it was the perfect time to ask some questions. Then, he thought, he would go to bed and try to sleep. And perhaps accidentally burn something to ashes. Or, even better, taking some of those nice decorations with him and sell them on the next island. He was a pirate, after all.

When he cleared his throat, Aizen's eyes darted over to him, reminding him of his spontaneous dislike of the guy. Those eyes, even as he smiled his uncanny smile, were too dark. Not because of the colour … just dark. Emotionless.

"Well," Ace began and toyed with his glass of wine, sliding it over the table, from one hand towards the other, "My being here serves a certain purpose." _Fuck it if I can't talk as if I'd have a broomstick up my ass too._

"What would that be?" The guy's voice also had something strange to it. As if he were suppressing something.

"I am searching the lands for a character named Blackbeard. Do you know anything about his whereabouts?"

"Blackbeard …" The man's hand went up to cup his chin as he appeared to think about the question. "At any rate, he did not set foot on this island."

"Are you sure?" Ace watched him as he tried to figure that damn guy out.

"Indeed, I am. This lovely island, as you know already, belongs to me. I am well informed about any occurrences upon its soil." That sly smile. Heck, Ace just couldn't shake off that strange feeling of his, the feeling that something was seriously wrong with this guy. But then again, probably he was in 'male rivalry' mode at the moment, which was influencing his way of thinking. Such stupid crap. Why, just why did he have to react like that? Like he had already pointed out to himself, he was not interested in Yami at all. It really was all that stupid dream's fault. Yes, that was the reason he now felt like he did. Perhaps the guy was nice in reality, and he just didn't notice through his testosterone glasses?

His exploration tour into his own psyche, however, was interrupted by the blond – Izuru? – entering the hall again. He positioned himself behind Aizen's chair once more, who covered a huge yawn with his beringed hand.

"Why, I feel tired now. Toshiro, lead my dear guest to his quarters and bring him his wine," he commanded, and as if he had been there the whole time, the white-haired boy was at his side in no time.

"I don't need any wine," Ace protested, but Aizen just put it off with a wink of his hand as he rose from his heavy chair, and the servant took Ace's glass of wine as well as a new bottle from the table.

"Wine, you know, simplifies falling asleep," he smiled and waited for Ace to follow the little servant out of the room – which he did gladly. Anything was better than staying in the same room with that guy for so long. Perhaps he should request more wine and get drunk.

The servant led him up a grand staircase covered with a thick, burgundy carpet. The handrail was of a deep dark wood, fully covered with golden inlays in the form of petite ivy twines creeping up towards the first floor.

They went up another staircase to the second floor, and Ace was shown a beautifully and richly adorned room, with burgundy cushions on the bed and the armchairs and burgundy curtains framing the windows as well as the large bed.

"Make yourself at home," the boy said and bowed once before he placed the bottle of wine on the table and reached the glass out for Ace to take. "And drink this wine. It is made of vine stocks growing in the snow and has very healthy effects on the body."

"Growing in the snow, huh?" Ace asked distracted as a weird feeling befell him. He couldn't tell why; the boy was only offering him a glass of wine. Perhaps it was the eagerness he now put in his task as opposed to the lack of emotion he had showed earlier. Perhaps it was the way his hand had started to tremble ever so slightly. Perhaps it were his green eyes, adding something dark to his otherwise youthful appearance, like they had seen way too much for their age.

Ace decided to cover his suspiciousness and took the wine, watching the servant closely. He seemed to be somewhat relieved the second the glass was taken from him, which didn't make any sense. Ace stared into the glass as if pondering to drink it, then put it on the table nearby, saying, "Ah, no thanks, I'm not in the mood for wine now." He stretched both arms over his head and faked a yawn.

"Please, sir –" the servant uttered, then went still.

Ace's eyes narrowed as he turned his head. _Please what? Please drink the wine or my master will be angry? Bullshit!_

The boy had lowered his gaze to the floor and seemed tense. Now there definitely was something wrong about this. The bad feeling in his guts grew stronger the more he looked at the boy, but he couldn't put his finger on it. In two quick steps, he was at the guy and took his shoulders in an iron grip. The face that shot up was not that of a boy, he seemed not even frightened, but the tension in his body was almost palpable.

"Does he hurt you?" Ace asked, since he could not imagine any other threats at the moment. "Speak, Toshiro! That's your name, isn't it?"

The boy's eyes were hard and cold as ice. He shook his head, but remained still.

"What is it, then? Tell me!"

"Sir, if you might please just drink your wine and go to bed," came a calm voice from the doorway. Toshiro's head whirled around, and his face became worried when he saw the other servant standing there.

"Izuru, stay out of this!"

Ace let go of the boy and took the glass of wine. He looked at it scrutinisingly, but well, it was just a glass of wine, for fruck's sake!

"How about you drink it for me?" he said without turning, his voice near to a low growl. Something was so seriously wrong here …

A swoosh next to his ear let him whirl around – just fast enough to barely evade the wrong side of a sword.

"Are you kidding me?" he yelled and set a hard punch to Toshiro's hand that held the weapon. The blade was dropped instantly and the boy jumped back with a yelp. "What the heck do you think you're doing here?"

"No! Please!" Izuru exclaimed and rushed forward to protect his comrade.

"I won't fight you, kiddo," Ace growled and folded his arms in front of his chest, giving both boys a sharp, determined glance. "But could you now please tell me what the fuck is going on in this curio collection?"

* * *

"Owww …" Yami mumbled as she opened her eyes. She noticed several things in the moment she came to consciousness. Her head felt like it had been slammed in with a hammer, and buzzed like one thousand bees' home. Her limbs felt heavy, like she was stuck between two large rocks. And her whole body, well, seemed to lie on a rock, judging by the hard surface that was below her. Oh, and it was terribly cold. Her senses managed to inform her that she seemed to be naked. All in all, not the peaceful awakening you had in a bed on a Sunday morning.

"Shit, what …" she muttered, then moaned. Anything she did just hurt like hell – well, anything she could do, for that matter. Her whole body felt like it had been paralysed, and the only real movements she could do was blinking her eyes and moving her mouth. And breathe.

She clenched her teeth as she tried to turn her head, but slowly, she managed it. What she saw, however, didn't really contribute to her feeling any better: a dark, rough stone wall, an equally designed floor, and the edge of the thing she was lying upon. Dark stone. Kinda like a table … Her eyes widened. Could it be … that she was lying on an altar? But how? And when? And where? Why was she naked? And … damn it, she was confused. The last thing she remembered was their entrance in that castle and the dinner, and that she had been feeling better, and then … blackness. As if she had drunk too much and now suffered from a major blackout.

But she was sure she hadn't drunk that much. One, no, two glasses of wine. Certainly not enough to make a pirate girl drunk, thank you very much. She also remembered Ace's falling asleep. Perhaps she had done so too? Perhaps narcolepsy was contagious …?

_Yah, right. And neptunians are mermaids in disguise. _

Hell, even thinking hurt. Yami couldn't suppress a groan as she put her head back to look why her naked arms felt like they were held back by something.

_What the …! _

She knew that kind of colour. It was the same as the hidden dagger in her boot. Dark grey, almost green, with odd blotches.

_Fuck!_ she thought … and realised that she was in real danger.

"Kairoseki … what's kairoseki doing here? This a Marine station?" she asked loudly. The silence made her crazy … she would rather suffer from her sore throat than take that any longer. "Just … where the hell am I?"

"Oh, the narcotics finally vanished from your body," a voice came from somewhere at her feet, and her head snapped up. "That is wonderful. And to answer your question, you did not move from your previous location. What you see belongs to my home."

"Aizen!" she hissed and struggled against her confines – needless to say, futilely. "What the fuck is this?"

Aizen smiled coldly. "Milady, what a language you have there."

"The hell! If you wanted to fuck me you could've just asked! But now you got me pissed! Make me free or I'll –"

"You what?" he interrupted, his smug face inspiring in her the desire to deliver a steep kick into those curved lips, and that straight nose, and those cold eyes. "Oh, and how mistaken you are. Forgive me if my behaviour led you to the wrong conclusions. I do not intend to violate you."

"Isn't that great?" she mumbled sarcastically. "And here I thought you were just the average rapist asshole."

Aizen chuckled in amusement. "Oh, but by no means."

"So what the fuck is going on here?" Yami spat out. Her whole body was hurting so badly and trembling all over from cold, pain or anger or most likely all three at once, but she had forgotten to care. How dare that bastard chain her up here? Oh, if she ever got free, she'd so beat him up.

"Ah …" Aizen said slowly and walked around the table – altar – thingy she was lying on. "Well, you have to understand my situation. If I do not feed from you, my life is over. So, you see, I do not have a choice here. Tourism is, like you can surely imagine, very rare on Turquoise Island. Therefore I always enjoy the company of such fresh and young people like you and your friend, and that is the reason why I instructed the villagers to send you up here."

"Feed from me? What are you, a cannibal? Or a wannabe vampire?" she sneered and once again struggled against the chains that tied her to the plate. As if she had any sort of chance against kairoseki. Even if she wasn't a devil fruit user, that stuff was just hard as hell. "Just great! You're not only an idiot, you're also crazy. I'm being caught by a crazy idiot who thinks he's Dracula's son. Isn't that just my kind of luck."

"And again you are misled, my dear," Aizen smiled, making her want to vomit. "I am no vampire, although the concept of extracting energy from the human body is rather similar. But fear not. I do not intend to drink your blood." Slowly, ever so slowly, he started to peel off the skin of his silky gloves, and Yami watched with narrowed eyes.

"This," he said and held up his right hand, "is the key to immortality."

She gasped as he the dim light revealed the palm of his hand, and her face contorted in aversion.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he mused and stared at it tenderly, like it was his treasure. Or his lover.

"Ewww! What's that thing?" she bit out.

The palm of his hand was littered with little circles, like ulcerations. It pretty much reminded her of an octopus' tentacle, only it was dark red and looked like it was sore. And probably the most disgusting thing of all was, the things pulsated.

Aizen laughed. "I do not expect that you understand. But soon you will. Soon …" And he took that damn thing down and actually caressed her stomach with it. He touched her. With that thing.

"Don't you fucking dare …!" Yami clenched her teeth in anger and disgust as her whole body suddenly convulsed, leaving a tingling sensation where he had put that thing on her. "What the fuck are you doing? I'll so kill you if you do that again …"

"I do not think so," he replied, his eyes practically glowing with excitement. "And I will do it again. I will take up all the energy from you, and it will strengthen my very existence. But first, let me enjoy that voluptuous body of yours. Verily, you are almost too beautiful to believe."

"The fuck, asshole! Pervert! Bastard! I'll kill you!" Rage really was a great energy source. But unfortunately, still not strong enough to stand up to kairoseki handcuffs. It was all so futile. She could never get out of here on her own, now could she …

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her, and she gasped.

_Ace._

What about Ace?

Her voice lowered to a growl as she glared at the bastard, who was still eating her alive with just his damn bastard eyes. She should keep in mind to scratch them out when she got free. "_What did you do to him?_"

Aizen stopped staring and chuckled nastily. "Ah, I guess you mean your rather aggressive friend. He is sleeping soundly at the moment, waiting for his turn. Do not worry, he will be next after I have finished you."

"That's _not_ what I'm worrying about!" she grumbled, glaring daggers at him. But at least the cowboy was safe … for now. If Mr. Bastard's plan worked out as he wanted, they would both be dead before the sun rose the next day.

"He seems to be quite the possessive one," Aizen mused and slowly rubbed his fingers over his chin. "But he is not your boyfriend."

Yami preferred to answer that with a death glare. Definitely not that bastard's cup of tea. "Sleeping my ass," she blurted out. "He'll come any second, and then your head will be in for a good few kicks, got it? He'll come and kick your fucking ass!" She just had to believe that, right? Since there was not much of an alternative to it. All she could do was lie there and hope he'd come. Sure, she wasn't the type of girl who needed a knight in shining armour; she had never been. But now … a shining armour just seemed incredibly nice.

Ironically, she had to smile absentmindedly when she imagined Ace in a suit of armour, on a white horse, a shiny sword in hand. Riding in here and piercing the weapon through Mr. Bastard's chest. Ah … nice, really.

"No, I do not think so," Aizen smiled, not at all aware of her little daydream. The glances he gave her exposed body made her shudder, and definitely not in a good way. "He does not suspect a thing, and if he did, my excellent little servants are instructed to take all measures necessary to prevent him from doing as you said."

_Argh …_ No, that just couldn't be. It just couldn't. He wouldn't let them trick him, no way in hell. He was Whitebeard's Second Division Commander, and they would not die here. They. Would. Not. Die. By. That. Bastard.

"As if they'd stand a damn fucking chance!" she spat at him.

"There is more to them than meets the eye, you see." Aizen lowered his hand towards her. The _hand thing_. Yami clenched her teeth and did her best to get away from it. "Like with me … I am not what I seem," he smiled. "I am truly great, yes, almost god-like, you could say."

"I'd never say such shit!"

"I am over five hundred years old," he continued, deliberately ignoring her. "Over the years, decades, and centuries, not only my reason and intellect increased. My eyes, my ears, all senses of mine grew better and better."

All of a sudden, he placed the thing squarely on her belly. It felt as if he'd given her electric shocks; her whole body contracted with clenching, jerking muscles. "Awwwg …" she groaned and almost bit her tongue off as she tried to shut her mouth so as not to allow any more noise to escape. She would never grant him that satisfaction.

"Bastard!" she hissed through gritted teeth.

Even if the whole contact only lasted for a few seconds, she felt the energy getting sucked out of her. It was that thing that did it. That was how he intended to kill her. First her … then Ace. Who was sleeping.

Damn, she would even believe in thought transmission here if it helped! Perhaps she should give it a try …

"My, my," Aizen laughed. "You are stubborn. Why can you not accept that I am in the process of taking your life? It will end here. Soon you will be a part of me. And is that not wonderful? Being a part of such a divine being?"

"Shove it!" she cursed. She'd have said she would rather die than be a part of that asshole … but well, in this case, the two things included each other, and wasn't that just great.

_ACE!_ she yelled mentally. _GET YOUR FUCKING ASS DOWN HERE AND KICK THIS BASTARD INTO THE SEA!_

But hey … wait.

Better senses, he said? And why yelling mentally when she could do so much better?

"Come here," she whispered, suppressing the cat-like grin with all her might. If she had to die today, she'd put up as much of a fight as she fucking could. "I wanna tell you something." And damn him, but he really did what she said, a curious look on his conceited face. He bent over until she decided it was enough.

"Now, what do you –"

The yell that came from her mouth would have shattered glass into pieces. She put all her might in it, as if it was her last deed. Which it probably was. She cried and cried and cried … and enjoyed, yes, indulged in the way his handsome face contorted from pain, the way his hands shot up to cover his ears.

"What's it like to have such great senses, now? Tell me, asshole," she croaked hoarsely after having taken one deep breath, smirking up at him mischievously even with the certainty that she didn't stand any chance.

"Why you little bitch …!" he growled and grabbed her by the throat with the ulcerations on the thing pulsating rhythmically, ready to suck out her life.

* * *

"He's going to kill her if we don't obey!" Izuru yelled, his voice shivering. "He's going to kill Momo-nee-chan …"

"He's got a hostage?" Ace asked through gritted teeth. "Your sister?"

"Izuru's sister," Toshiro corrected. But judging by the way worry was etched upon his face, she meant a lot to him, too.

"So what's he up to?" Ace pressed. "Who's that guy?"

"He … he's … a monster," Toshiro explained quietly. "And you should hurry, Fire Fist Ace. He wants to kill your girl, perhaps just now."

"She's not my …" His voice trailed off as his brain fully got the meaning of the white-haired boy's words, and everything froze. He closed his eyes. "He what."

"I said, you should …"

"I FUCKING HEARD WHAT YOU SAID!" he yelled and seized Toshiro by the collar. "TAKE ME THERE! NOW!"

"Yes."

That was why he was now storming down the seemingly endless staircase towards the dungeon, the two servants on his heels. Damn, had this whole goddamn mountain gotten hollowed out or what?

"Be careful. You mustn't touch his hand," Toshiro explained mid-run.

"Why the fuck couldn't you tell me that earlier?" Ace threw a question back.

"He's got Momo," the white-haired boy replied, calm despite of the pace Ace was setting.

_I'll be too late. I'll be too late. I'll be too late …_ the cruel chorus inside of his head warbled away while he ran as fast as he could. He clenched his teeth while trying not to think about it, not to imagine Yami getting killed right at this very moment.

He would never allow that to happen.

He would so kill that freak.

He would –

He almost stopped dead when he heard the cry.

His heart almost did, too.

_NO!_

* * *

**Author's note:** Major cliffy here. Sorry 'bout that. I blame the serial character of both manga and fan fiction for it. But I promise I'll write as fast as I can.

Ah, by the way. It's Aizen Sōsuke and Hitsugaya Tōshirō, but since those things (those neat little lines) never occur in One Piece, I did it the way I did.

_**Coming up:**_

Ace burst into the chamber like a hurricane of fire. The voice screaming in his head was as loud as never before, telling him that he was _too late, too late, too fuckin late._

It seemed like a dance, a dance between predators, smooth, sleek, and tense, ready to pounce and rip the other's throat out at the first opportunity available. – Here comes your fight!

_Oh … fuck__!_ was all he could think when realisation hit him … and his knees went weak. – And that's bad. Very bad.


	29. Flicker of a Flame

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece.

* * *

**Chapter 28: ****Flicker of a Flame**

Yami didn't close her eyes. She kept them wide open as he started to rob her of her life, staring into his bastard eyes with all the hatred she felt. She wanted to burn him alive, like he was doing with her – at least, it felt like it. She felt her body convulse from pain, pain that was so strong she could feel unconsciousness looming in the corners of her mind. But she couldn't allow that, and neither would she cry.

The burning sensation spread all over her, growing heavier with every moment that passed. And it felt like an eternity.

Her limbs got weaker. She couldn't even struggle now. And the thing heated and heated and heated …

She didn't want to die. And she didn't want the last thing she would see to be those bastard's eyes. But hey, life was a bitch. And now it abandoned her like a cuckoo did his offspring. Was that payoff for all the things she had had to go through? Being mistreated by prison guards, seeing her parents die before her very eyes, losing every person that had been of worth to her … and now this? Really … life sucked. Big-time.

_Ace …_ she thought as she clenched her teeth to keep herself from crying out loud. She could have been happy for the time she had had with him and his brother's crew – which had been the only good thing happening to her lastly. And now she would lose that too? No, she just couldn't be happy about that. She refused. She didn't want to die. And most likely, she would die with the knowledge that he would be next. How, just how could she possibly be happy about that? It was a curse; her own, personal little curse. Having everyone she liked dying right in front of her. And she was so, so tired of it.

She only wished that at least she would have been granted to look at him once more. Or tell him goodbye. Or not having him die.

_So … fucked up. Ace … where the hell – _

The answer appeared in the corner of her eyes, and at first she thought she was just hallucinating from too much pain. Then, everything went too fast. In retrospect, she only remembered relief as a warm feeling flowing through her whole being, replacing the terrible feeling of being on fire and that unbearable pain.

A gasp escaped her mouth as the blazing sensations stopped all at once, and she took a harsh, desperate breath that burned in her lungs. She hadn't even noticed that it had been cut off by that thing grabbing her throat.

All that mattered now … was that it was over.

She sighed and closed her eyes.

* * *

Ace burst into the chamber like a hurricane of fire. The voice screaming in his head was as loud as never before, telling him that he was _too late, too late, too fuckin late. _And when he saw it, saw her lying on that altar with the monster guy looming over her, his hand at her throat … he felt nothing at all.

Feelings, thoughts, fears … all was useless, needless, unnecessary.

Like in a dream, he saw himself leap forward, materialise, extend his fist and run straight into the guy. He saw the fucker fly backwards, like in slow-motion, hit the wall, burst some rocks, and slump down.

_Focus, focus!_ his inner voice yelled at him, and he shook his head to get rid of that numbness. That was when his gaze fell upon her face … and it all but crashed down on him. It was as if his vision zoomed in on her, and everything else went blurry and fuzzy. All noises were tuned out but his own heartbeat, hammering in his ears like the dull ticking of a clock, reminding him of time, time he didn't have and time he had lost forever.

Fuck, she was so white. Too white. That bastard, if he …

"Yami," he heard himself say. "Yami, wake up."

No reaction. She was just lying there, white as linen, and had her eyes closed, looking like a corp – _No, dammit!_

"YAMI!" He desperately grabbed her head and gave her cheeks fierce little slaps. "Goddammit! Don't you dare! Don't you fuckin dare! You're in for one hell of a reanimation if you dare dying on me! I'll break all your goddamn ribs! Wake up, for fuck's sake!"

She just couldn't die here. That was not part of the plan. Oh, but hell, she just looked so white –

The moment she opened her eyes would stay etched upon his memory, probably forever.

He had never, _never_ been that glad to see those magnificent blue eyes.

"_Fuck!_" he sighed and propped himself up on the stone surface next to her face, taking several deep breaths while staring into her eyes. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

"Don't be … so rude," she whispered hoarsely and the corners of her mouth twitched into something that could almost be called a smile. "Cowboy."

"Goddammit. You little idiot." Ace took another deep breath and touched her forehead in a careful caress while grinning like an idiot himself. "You have to quit that new habit of yours, making me worried as fuck."

She smiled faintly. "You … heard me."

"Sure as hell did." He closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. "I thought I wouldn't make it in time."

"What do you … take me for?" she smiled, and then her body erupted in hard coughs that made him flinch.

"You relax. I'm gonna take that little shit out," he told her and his face hardened when he looked at where Aizen was getting to his feet again. "Izuru!"

"Y-Yes?" The blonde stepped forward, looking a bit lost.

"Unchain her. I'm gonna take care of your ex-boss."

"If you do that, I will kill her," Aizen said calmly, wiping a line of blood from his still grinning mouth. "I will kill your sister."

"Don't listen to that scumbag. You know who I am, right?" Ace said calmly, dangerously quiet, his eyes never leaving the bastard. "I'm gonna take him down and then we'll free your sister together."

"You are mistaken here, cowboy. First I will kill you, then I will kill your girl, and then poor little Momo will pay for your treason."

"Shaddup!" Yami croaked from the side. "Only I may call him cowboy, shithead!"

Ace couldn't help grinning here. "What can I say? She's right there." If she could give such comments, she sure was on her way to recovery, which made him just so relieved after all this worrying he had done.

Anyway. Who did that asshole think he was? "You'll never get away with this." No, no way in hell. He would so pay dearly for making Yami suffer, and for giving him the shock of his life. Oh, and not to forget for all those people on his conscience.

"I will. I always do," Aizen smiled coldly. "And it would be so much more convenient if you just handed yourself over."

"Sorry, no can do," Ace replied. He could feel his skin tingling, like it always did in anticipation of a fight. "Not convenient. Just useless, since you'll be thrashed in just a few minutes anyway. Probably less."

"Izuru!" Aizen rumbled, and the boy stopped dead.

"Continue," Ace said calmly. "I'll take him out. Don't worry." And with that, he went on to prove his words, sending a blast of fire in the bastard's direction. "FIRE FIST!"

A muffled noise came out of the flames, but it wasn't the agonised cry Ace would have expected. He frowned and waited for the fire to subside – which it did quickly. Way too quickly to be normal.

And it exposed the view on Aizen Sosuke, standing with his hand … thing … in front of his body, palm … thing … pointed towards Ace. And he was smirking.

"Dammit," he growled. "Toshiro! Couldn't you have told me he can absorb fire with that hand?"

"I had no idea," Toshiro's calm voice came from the door, and for a short moment Ace wondered if the boy had any feelings at all. If so, he was great in suppressing them.

_Fuck. My abilities are useless here. Unless … I'm getting him where his hand … whatever … can't reach. _

Aizen, meanwhile, brushed some stray dust off his clothing. "Ah, you really are bothersome. And your girl just tasted so delicious, it would have been good to enjoy all of it."

Anger erupted all over him in form of flames. How dare he!

"And here you didn't even get to taste my _fist_, asshole!" Yami's hoarse voice came from where she lay.

Her talking sounded as if it hurt pretty much, but of course she just couldn't shut up. That was just the way she was. He would have smiled if he wasn't so engrossed in thinking about how to make this guy regret all he'd done so far. Especially with Yami.

"I am afraid I will not have that pleasure." The smirk on his face was making Ace sick to his stomach. Just thinking of how he had stood there, choking her, sucking life energy out of her body, made him want to vomit. After he'd beaten the guy into a bloody pulp, that is.

"Shut up!" he yelled and, at the same time, threw another burst of fire at the man, trying to catch him off-guard. But just when he wanted to triumph he saw the absorbing hand-thing shoot out, and the fire was gone in the blink of an eye.

"Mmh," Aizen chuckled. "Delicious. I have not gotten that much energy since many decades."

"Damn you," Ace murmured and took a step to the side. Aizen followed suit, and they started to circle around each other, always watching for an opening.

Ace's body felt like a tense bow-string. Every fibre in him seemed to vibrate, humming with pleasure about the oncoming fight. He clenched his fists. It was true, he hadn't had a proper fight since … ah, too long. That little skirmish with Scorpion sure didn't count.

Just for one second, his gaze fell upon where Yami was still lying … tied down.

"_Izuru!_" he snarled. "Goddammit! Start getting those fuckin kairoseki things off her!"

That moment of distraction was enough for Aizen to sniff a chance. In less than one second he had crossed the distance between them, charging at Ace like a snake. Only barely could he evade being grabbed by that hand – he somersaulted backwards, which was extremely difficult in the confines of the low dungeon, and landed in defensive pose, arms crossed in front of his chest with his fists clenched and raised. "You're fast."

"Aa. One of age's many conveniences." He still smirked, so sure to win this fight. But Ace would so not let him do that.

"Then you must be older than dirt."

"Nice way to put it, bantling."

Ace snorted, having resumed to circling Aizen again. It seemed like a dance, a dance between predators, smooth, sleek, and tense, ready to pounce and rip the other's throat out at the first opportunity available.

It came for Ace when Aizen lowered his guard for just a split second. Seeing as Ace was a fighter who had succeeded in many battles and the castle-owner was not, the fire user noticed it immediately and didn't hesitate to launch an attack at his opponent. And this time, he was smart enough not to make it a fire attack. He dashed at Aizen and threw a hard kick at him mid-air. It would have shattered bones – if it had only met its target.

Instead, Aizen managed to dodge only by a hair, jumping out of the way and trying to grab Ace's leg instead.

Ace growled and delivered a kick with his other leg from below, smashing his foot right into Aizen's chin, forcing him to let go of his other leg. He somersaulted again, bringing himself out of the danger-zone.

"Ugh …" Aizen groaned and cracked his jaw back in place. "That did hurt, bantling."

"That's how it was intended, bastard." Ace eyed his opponent attentively, panting. He had just barely gotten his knee out of the way. He had almost been touched with that energy-sucking thing. And damn him, but wasn't he full of energy at the moment.

"Unfortunately for you, however, with the amount of energy you provided me with, my body could heal for the next two years."

"You can heal. Now isn't that a surprise," Ace said dryly. "The bad guys always do that."

"Marco the Phoenix also does it," Yami interjected.

Ace almost rolled his eyes, and wasn't that a good sign. Definitively recovering. "Not helpful, baka." Focusing on Aizen, he announced, "Well, if that's so, then I'll simply inflict so much damage on you to make up for the next two years, and then some."

Instead of answering, Aizen charged. He feinted left, then tried to get Ace with his right at his wrist. That one second he really managed to touch Ace's skin was enough for the fire user to get an impression of what was in for him should Aizen get a real grip of any body part of his. And of how it must have been for Yami.

With a hiss, Ace jerked his arm back just in time.

"Not so simple now, is it?" Aizen sneered as he stared right into Ace's eyes, with nothing but evil flickering in them. Ace used that moment to punch the guy's arm away from him, then sent a blast of fire in the direction of Aizen's head – who ducked away and performed a perfect roll to the side. Then, without further warning, his hand shot out to grab Ace's calf, and the young man had to do some serious jumping so as to not get caught.

"Fuck!" he cursed when he landed a few metres away. The narrowness of the room was now getting on his nerves like nothing else. If they had been on an open field, he could have done whatever he liked. But here, he had to watch where he jumped, how high he jumped, and where he threw his fire so as not to hit Yami or the boys with it, prohibiting him from using mass destruction attacks. Which would prove utterly useless anyway. So he had to get in close contact with his enemy, leaving him at a disadvantage since it was exactly what Aizen was looking for. He had to do some serious damage without letting himself be touched.

_Hmm … I'm fast. But … faster than him? Let's try._

Ace wasted no time. He jumped up, careful not to jump all to high, then threw a fireball. It hit, got absorbed, and did its job of distracting Aizen as long as Ace needed to attack. He dashed forward, his elbow extended, and rammed it right into the guy's guts. Aizen gasped for air, which Ace used to deliver an uppercut targeting his chin once again. He heard the loud crack when it broke, and enjoyed the muffled cry of pain coming from the person it was attached to.

He didn't lose a moment. A whirlwind of punches hailed down on Aizen, reinforced with fire to make them _really_ painful. But just when Ace wanted to use his new opportunity to its fullest and dealing a real blow made of fire, Aizen recovered too quickly. His right hand closed around Ace's upper arm, making him hiss in pain. But it wasn't so painful so that he couldn't think clearly, and he reacted immediately, kicking Aizen in the stomach.

_Bastard's not attentive when playing vampire_, it shot through his head.

He was let go instantly, and Aizen gave some choking noises that were deeply satisfying to him. Unfortunately and as it had been the times before, that didn't last long. After not even ten seconds Aizen straightened again and narrowed his eyes at Ace. "I see," he said, wiping a drop of blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. "Let us be serious."

_Serious? Serious? __Well _I_ am serious!_ Ace growled inwardly. But he didn't have much time to think any further. Aizen disappeared in a blur, and just when Ace noticed that this was really, really bad and readied himself for another hand-attack of his, he got hit by a literally breathtaking kick into his abdomen he hadn't expected at all. The impact launched him backwards, and Ace was trying to regain his footing when he received another blow, this time to the back.

_Oh … fuck__!_ was all he could think when realisation hit him … and his knees went weak.

* * *

"Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!" Yami exclaimed when the key slipped from the blond boy's trembling fingers – for the fifth time.

"Y-Yes," he mumbled, picked the piece of metal up again, and continued his work. One of her feet was freed so far, but there were still three clamps to go, and if he went on like this she wouldn't be free next year.

With a frustrated groan she turned her head again and watched the fight again. Ace now had the upper hand, dealing several painful-looking punches to the bastard who seemed to have his jaw broken. Her body started to tingle all over in excitement by seeing the guy get what he deserved. The only slightly bad thing about this was that it wasn't _her_ giving it to him. But hey, just as good. Cowboy did a great job at this, as far as she could tell.

When she felt her left ankle get free, she jerked her leg back and enjoyed the feeling coming back into it. Furthermore, she hadn't really been comfortable with being tied down eagle-style while being naked – and four men in the room.

"Could you _please_ hurry up?" she whined when hearing the high-pitched _cling!_ of the key hitting stone near her ear.

"I'm doing my best, I'm sorry," the boy said quietly, now occupied with the clamp that held her right hand.

"Let us be serious," she heard the bastard say and jerked her head around. He was standing with his back towards her, facing Ace, and the fact that he was still standing worried her a great deal.

She saw Ace's dissatisfied expression, which worried her even more.

And then, everything faded into a haze that made her blink wildly for fear of oncoming unconsciousness or something threatening to block her view. But soon after, she noticed that it was nothing of the sort. It was just Aizen's speed that made anything sort of blurry.

The soft clinking sound of her right hand's clamp snapping free was drowned out by the loud thump of Ace's back hitting the wall.

"Dammit!" Yami cursed and sat up, almost dislocating her own shoulder in the process, but she ignored it.

When Ace slumped down slowly, she knew something was wrong. And then she saw what exactly: Aizen had thrown him against just that one wall which had kairoseki handcuffs dangling down it.

"SHIT!" she yelled and yanked at the one remaining clamp that was attached to her left wrist. "HURRY THE HELL UP, BOY!"

It all went too fast. Aizen appeared in front of Ace's slumped body, grabbing him by the throat, and didn't she know how that felt. She heard the gurgling noise from his mouth as he desperately tried to free himself, but to no avail. The hand started to glow in an uncanny way as Aizen started to take Ace's energy.

"NO!" she yelled and had to force herself to throw one glance back to where the boy was freeing her hand. _Just … one … second … Ace … hang on …_

Then, with a soft click, she was finally free. Not hesitating for one moment, she jumped up and willed herself into transforming while launching herself at Aizen. Ignoring the strain of maintaining her powers in her current condition of weakness, she took form again with her fist leading the way, and let it crash right into Aizen's temple while concentrating on strengthening it with her trump card powers.

Aizen didn't so much stumble back as fly right into the wall with a loud crashing sound. And the moment he was gone from her view, obscured by dust and debris falling down on him, he didn't matter anymore.

"Cowboy!" she yelled and dove down to kneel beside him and grab him by the shoulders. "Are you okay?"

A pained moan was her answer, but it was answer enough. "Oh, thank fuck," she sighed and drove her hand through the strands of red hair that dangled down in front of her face, to sweep them back and regain her vision.

"What do you take me for?" he gasped out hoarsely, repeating her own words from before. The slightly distorted smile on his face eased her worries like nothing else, and she couldn't help but smile herself.

"You little brats!" Aizen roared behind them, and she only saw him position to leap as she whirled around. Then he went all blurry, too fast for her weary eyes to trace, and fear clenched her stomach tightly.

But even faster, Ace had managed to shove her out of the way, receiving Aizen's full-on punch smack in the face. He barely managed to take his arm up to protect himself. His head snapped back, making painful contact with the wall, and Yami saw his eyes fall shut.

_Bastard. Bastard. BASTARD!_

From where she lay, it took her two seconds to get up and act out a not-so-friendly punch that aimed for Aizen's chin. Thrice on the same spot, that just had to hurt, even if it healed right away. But to her horror, Aizen caught her fist mid-air – with the wrong hand.

Yami hissed as she applied her special technique to prevent him from stealing her energy, but she was weakened. Too weak. She clenched her teeth as she felt him try harder, his damned face right in front of her, sporting a crooked smirk.

She couldn't let him win, she couldn't. But she had barely any power left, and he had much of it. In addition, her hand started to burn from his touch, telling her that her power was fading away further. Her hiss soon grew into a cry of pain as she was unable to maintain it any more, and he had her fist in a death grip.

"GAAAAAAAAH!"

_Don't let it end here. Please, don't let it end. I want to live_. I want to live.

* * *

Ace's eyes flew open and he was catapulted out of unconsciousness when he heard her scream. Without thinking, just relying on instinct, he shot forward, grabbed Aizen by the throat, whirled them both around and smashed him into the wall so hard that his head sure left a dent, and none too small. In this moment he felt enough hatred to kill him about one thousand times, but he knew it wasn't his right. The little part that was left of his reason told him to stop the fire that wanted to get out and burn him until he was no more than a small heap of dirty dust on the ground, told him to take a breath and shout out loud. "TOSHIRO! NOW!"

He didn't have to say it twice. The boy seemed to understand instantly, and while Ace held the monster's right arm nailed to the wall, he heard movement behind him. Because unlike Izuru, Toshiro didn't hesitate. It was the determination Ace had seen in his deep green eyes, and it had made him understand what the boy had to do, needed to do. It was a guess nevertheless, but Ace was glad he had been spot-on.

The high whirring sound of a sword being unsheathed was heard. There was fear in the bastard's eyes as he blinked rapidly, struggling to get free but weakened by kairoseki, kairoseki he himself had given order to be attached to the wall in his own dungeon, kairoseki he himself had used to weaken his victims. It must have been then that he realised that all good things came to an end eventually.

"GYAAAAAAAAAH!" he screamed out as the sword's sharp blade cut right through the skin, muscles, and bone of his right arm, effectively severing his lower arm together with that monstrous hand of his. Blood splashed onto the floor and soaked through the clothes of everyone involved, forming dark red puddles on the stone.

Ace let go when he remembered what was more important now, and left Toshiro to deal with him. He almost lost his balance as he spun around to where Yami's slumped figure was lying on the floor, and crouched down next to her. "Hey," he whispered, fear squeezing his insides like a giant fist. "Hey, wake up."

No answer.

* * *

**Author's note: **Tsk, now you hate me, I know. But now I'm where I wanted to be, which means the next chapter'll come soon.

Anyway! Did you like the fighting? Now you know why I needed so frickin long for the chapter before (I always finish the chapter after it before I upload). My first time writing a fight. Was it acceptable? Hope so.

_**Coming up: **_

"Yami. Can you hear me?" he asked quietly, surprised at how rough his voice sounded.

She wanted to scream, to groan in agony, to close her eyes to protect them from the light, to lie back and sleep … Or just die.

"Haaaah …" she sighed and enjoyed the feeling of her body sinking into the hot water. "Tsk, luxurious b-bastard. Wanna come in t-too? I'm kinda feeling lonely in here." – Yeah, my darling is back.


	30. Warmth

**Author's note: **I'm sorry for the huge delay! I couldn't write in the last few weeks due to exam preparations and theatre performances, and I hope I can make up for it with this warm, comfortable and lovey-dovey-ish chapter. I love it, and I hope you'll do also. **  
**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 30: ****Warmth**

"Stop sleeping. Wake up, okay? Wake up."

Ace heard the words as they came from his mouth, and at the same time couldn't believe it was himself who was uttering them.

"Wake up. Wake up. Wake up," he said over and over again while he kneeled on the cold floor, bent forward over her coiled naked body that he didn't dare to touch, for fear of destroying it. Small, she looked small. Fragile, so incredibly fragile.

"Not again. Please, not again. This is not the time for joking. Wake up, now."

No reaction.

She was pale, almost white. The dark red of her lips and hair made such a stark contrast to her skin that it was alarming.

"Oh, please …" he whispered.

When he heard a soft whimper coming from her, he almost thought he'd only hallucinated. But it repeated itself, and he saw her hands twitch into weak fists.

Ace gasped and reached out to brush her hair away, to be able to see her face. She had her eyes squeezed shut and breathed shallowly, but she breathed.

He closed his eyes for a moment, gulping hard. This was the redefinition of that whole "shock of his life" thing. For the second time that day.

"Yami. Can you hear me?" he asked quietly, surprised at how rough his voice sounded.

"C-Cold," she breathed, almost soundlessly. "C'nt move." And really, her body started to shiver violently all at once.

"It's okay," he said soothingly while hastily contemplating his possibilities of lifting her up without hurting her. Which were most likely around zero. "It's okay, it's over now."

It was only natural she was cold now – she was naked, she was in a dungeon, she was lying on a cold stone floor, and she had barely any energy left to live, let alone maintain her own body temperature. So he had to do it for her.

He slid his arms around her, one around her shoulder, one under her knees, which made her whimper again. "I'm sorry," he muttered but didn't stop. He slowly started to lift her up, and it was as if she weighed nothing. Biting his lip in pain he felt for hurting her, he sat down cross-legged with her in his arms, positioning her in his lap and leaning her head on his shoulder to keep it from sagging backwards. She was still whining faintly, but when he enclosed her with his warmth it changed into soft sighs from time to time, cradling her injured hand to her chest. She was still shaking, however.

Only now did Ace look up to see what was happening on the far wall. Aizen's form was constantly shrinking like a withering plant, his face already crossed by uncountable creases and wrinkles beyond recognition. He was croaking hoarsely, reaching out with his bloody stump like he wanted help – which he wouldn't get. Toshiro was sitting next to him, his face unreadable, and watched him die slowly.

Ace stared with his face hard as a mask. He didn't pity him at all. He hadn't intended to kill him, but they couldn't possibly have let him live on with his hand still attached. He didn't regret anything about this, and even if he had known about the hand being his energy reservoir too, he wouldn't change any of his actions. Because that guy was pure evil, and nothing could change that.

"Haah …" Yami gasped in his lap and her teeth chattered violently. "C-C-Cold … s-so cold …"

"It's okay, I'm here, I'll warm you." He carefully stroked her arm where his hand was touching it, at the same time searching for Izuru. The blond boy was standing next to the altar, his expression unreadable and his fists clenched, as if he didn't know what to think or do.

"Where did you put her clothes?" Ace asked rather harshly to pull him out of his thoughts, and indeed, Izuru jerked back and his eyes focused on the fire user. "Go get them. She's freezing. Get her cloak."

The boy nodded abruptly and turned to flee the room.

Ace continued raising his body temperature, but careful not to burn her since they were momentarily skin to skin, and just this once did he regret not wearing a shirt, which he could have given to her. He wanted to rub her back or her limbs to bring back some warmth, but he didn't want to hurt her.

He was so, so glad she was alive; he couldn't say how much.

"Uhh …" she groaned and the fingers of her uninjured hand scratched over his chest. "I'll … k-kill … that b-b-bastard … Hurts … so m-much …"

"He's dead. It's okay." He led his hands over every inch of exposed skin he could find without turning her, ignoring the strange feeling he got when he touched on spots he wouldn't have seen otherwise, let alone touched. This wasn't about his feelings, it was about life-saving, goddammit.

She sighed again and buried her head in his shoulder, seeking warmth.

Izuru returned with her cloak, but when he wanted to drape it over her, Ace took it from him and started wrapping her in it. Then he took the shivering bundle up in his arms and stood up. "I'll get her upstairs. Do what you want, but if I were you, I'd free that girl you're both so worried about."

"Momo," Izuru replied calmly, and Toshiro looked up. "He's got the key to her prison."

The white-haired boy nodded and reached out for the pocket in Aizen's coat. Ace turned away and ascended the stairs that led to a more comfortable place.

He carried Yami into the room where they had eaten earlier and ignited a blazing fire in the fireplace with a wink of his hand. Spotting an armchair in the corner, he went to take it and manoeuvred it towards the cheerfully beckoning flames. Carefully, he put Yami into the well-cushioned piece and wanted to get some water and food when he felt her hand clutching his wrist tightly. Looking down, he found her staring at him with her eyebrows furrowed into a tight frown.

"I'll go get you some water. Just rest here and try to get warm, okay?" She nodded and let go of him.

"Still shocked, huh?" he muttered to himself as he tried to find the kitchen. He knew hypothermia wasn't to be taken lightly, it was a serious thing from which many people had died already, even if or especially when they had been getting warm again already.

But she had every right to be shocked, now hadn't she. And to be honest, he was feeling it too.

* * *

P.A.I.N.

This was a whole new definition of the word "pain". Like, take the most painful pain you've ever experienced, and multiply that by, let's say, one hundred. At least, that was what Yami was thinking as she lay more than sat in the armchair by the fireplace.

She wanted to scream, to groan in agony, to close her eyes to protect them from the light, to lie back and sleep … Or just die.

But she didn't want to scream, and she didn't dare to close her eyes. Somewhere in her mind Ace's words had gotten through the haze she was in, and he had said that bastard was dead. But she just couldn't believe that until she saw it with her own eyes. And until then, she needed to stay alert, especially because Ace had gone off somewhere. What if the bastard wasn't dead? She'd need to warn him, right?

The beating of her heart grew stronger, faster at that thought, and her hands twitched. Where should she take the strength from? She couldn't even move normally. All her body did was shiver violently, which didn't help at all.

_Ace … danger … need to …_

She forced her hand forward, to grab the armrest. The other hand too. She didn't care about the cloak falling from her shoulders; she was shivering either way. Her feet touched the ground, and dull pain spread up her legs.

_Shit … I can't … I can't … _

"Tch!" she spat out with a grimace. "L-like f-f-fuck I can't." She felt her mind going clear suddenly, and clenched her fists around the soft cloth of the chair's armrests. It hurt, but it was okay for now.

Now came the worst part. Her arms slowly straightened as she willed them to obey, but they put up as much of a fight as they could. The cloak, too, decided that it was okay to just fall to the ground on its own.

_Ace. Need to tell him. As long as that bastard's around, it's dangerous to wander about in his castle. _

She pushed herself up with all the power her exhausted body could come up with, but in the end it was futile. As soon as she was standing more or less, her knees gave in right away.

"Crap!" she hissed when she felt herself going down.

"What the … the fuck are you doing?" someone yelled, and she heard a swooshing sound before two strong arms wrapped around her shoulders, grabbing her just a moment before she could touch the ground. As she looked up, she saw Ace's eyes staring at her, only inches away from her own face.

"Stupid b-body," she muttered and tried to stand up, but he didn't let her.

"Really, what are you thinking? I told you to rest and get warm, and you did neither of those." He wrapped one arm around her waist to keep her steady, then picked up the cloak lying uselessly by her feet.

"What if he's alive?" she blurted out, and he froze. She heard a sigh when he finally draped the cloak around her shoulders and closed it at the front, then put his arms around her and sat down without letting go.

"No way. Believe me, he's dead." He carefully settled her against his chest.

"B-but he c-can regenerate!" she insisted. "What if he does?" She hated how she sounded so scared, but she couldn't help it. It was scary: if he came up the stairs with the intention of killing her, she would have been utterly helpless.

"Trust me. He won't come."

"But …"

"Shhh," he interrupted and put a finger on her mouth to silence her. She frowned at his smile and contemplated just biting that arrogant finger. "Your voice sounds so bad that it's painful just hearing you speak."

"Tch." Her frown deepened and she was just about to open her mouth to bite him when he took her right hand and looked at it.

"Does it hurt?" he asked softly, and apparently in a spur-of-the-moment idea, placed a soft kiss on the bruise that made Yami's eyes snap wide open.

"M-My throat hurts m-more." She didn't even think about how much of an invitation that was, much less that he'd take it.

Oh, but he did. Slowly bending forward, his hair tickling her face, he moved his mouth towards where the other welt was showing. A shock raced through her body as his lips made contact with her skin, almost making her gasp.

"Wh-at are you …"

"Making you better," he calmly responded while drawing back again, and showed a little smile that made her thoughts go on unwanted exploration tours. "I just think you deserve something like this." She could still feel his breath on her skin. The place on her throat where he had kissed her tingled and felt hot, but it was a good kind of hotness, unlike the way she had received the bruise.

"I found the kitchen," Ace interrupted her before she could think about it any further. "Lots of stuff there. I found some soup, too." He pointed at the table where a lonely, heavily steaming cup was sitting next to a glass of water. "Had to put it there to do some diving."

As in response, her stomach roared in emptiness, and Ace laughed. "Well, wasn't that an answer." He went to get the food, then came back and lifted her up to sit underneath her again. "I'm sorry if it hurts," he said when she hissed softly in the process, "but you need to get warm."

Yeah, she totally agreed to that.

"And I guess I need to feed you?" She could practically _hear_ his grin. And oh, how she hated it. He knew damn well how she hated being weak, and now he was making fun of her. The blaze of affection she had just felt for him was fading away quickly.

"Seems so," she snarled indignantly, but it came out as a hoarse croak.

"Funny. Just now you were able to stand up and fall down again."

"Shut up! That was because I thought you were – _we _were in danger." She seriously considered biting her tongue after what she had just said. As if she'd done it because of _him_.

But either way, it shut him up. And before she could do anything near flaring up again, he had already taken the spoon and now held it in front of her lips. "Don't talk," he whispered near her ear. "I'm just doing stress management. You need your energy. Just eat."

Damn, he was right. And moreover, the soup smelled so good that she forgot everything else and practically inhaled it, until the cup was empty. It warmed her from within, which was just wonderful too, and it tasted great.

Ace handed her a glass of water which he helped her drink. It was painful because of her sore throat, but certainly better than dehydration.

Just when she had finished and Ace wanted to go get a cup of soup for himself, a thought she didn't like at all for some reasons, there were the sounds of steps on the stairs leading to the dungeon. And damn, she _knew_ who that could only be, she really knew. But she couldn't help imagining that bastard appearing in the doorway any moment, with his bastard grin and his bastard monster hand and his bastard intent to kill.

She flinched when she felt hands on her shoulders.

"Relax," Ace mumbled. "He's dead." As if he had just read her thoughts. But well, the way her body had tensed up was speaking volumes, didn't it?

He began stroking up and down her arms in a soothing gesture, and her body really lost some of the tension. But she could only relax when the two servant boys came into view. They were half-carrying a thin and emaciated girl in ragged clothing, who gasped when her eyes fell on the two pirates sitting by the fireplace.

"It's okay, Momo. They're friends," Izuru said in an attempt to calm her down, and Toshiro took hold of her hand.

"Oh," the girl said weakly and let herself be dragged towards the staircase leading upstairs by her brother, while Toshiro stayed in the hall's entrance.

"Here," he said and held up a pair of shoes that turned out to be Yami's, and her rucksack. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid your clothes were destroyed."

"No p-problem," she replied with a faint smile. Really, that was her least problem.

"Actually, it could be," Ace spoke up. "How many pairs of long trousers do you possess?"

"Uhh … fuck." She could have cried. How did it always turn out to be like this?

"That's not a problem. I can give you some of mine. I don't mind, and actually, I hate them anyway." Toshiro averted his eyes before quietly continuing, "And it's our fault either way."

"It's not. You were heavily b-blackmailed."

"That's not the point."

"Mmh, okay. If you w-want to work off your g-guilty c-conscience, then show us a room with a f-fireplace and warm b-b-bed sheets. And give me those." She nodded in the direction of her belongings in his hands.

Toshiro gave a short bow and approached them to help her put her feet into her boots. Ace took the rucksack and stood up with her in his arms. "Okay, could you also get me a large cup of that soup before leading the way? My hands are full."

Yami looked up at him. True, he must be hungry too. Bastard had gotten him too several times. Why did he care about her when his condition was only slightly better? It must be hard to emit so much heat too. She made a mental note to thank him later, in one way or another. In fact, she was endlessly grateful.

"So, let's get up," Ace said when Toshiro re-appeared in the doorway with a steaming cup of soup, and the boy led them to a luxuriously furnished room with a large bed on one end and an equally expansive fireplace on the other.

The white-haired boy put the soup on a small and delicate table, then pointed towards a door. "That's the bathroom. If you allow, I'll draw a bath for you to get warm. Unlike the situation in the village, we have hot water here."

"S-Sounds wonderful."

Ace put her on the bed and covered her with the heavy sheets, then went to get his soup while Toshiro pottered around in the bathroom. Yami saw him inflaming a crackling fire when passing by the fireplace, and smiled. His abilities had never been so useful as they were now. But yet, he must be exhausted too …

"Sit down already," she ordered when he made no move to take place somewhere but hastily gulped down the soup. "You're making me nervous."

"Well, I kinda am," he replied and started wandering around in the room. "Want some more?"

"No, thanks, I'm full." She'd probably be excited too, if she had had the energy. She'd heard of people practically savaging each other after having been in mortal danger, and perhaps that was what he was feeling now. Too bad she didn't share that notion. Really, way too bad, since normally she would have appreciated it highly. But now, the only thing she'd appreciate was warmth, heat, hotness – in the literal sense, that is.

A pity.

Toshiro went and came back with the promised clothes and some extra blankets, and by that time the bathtub was filled with steaming, foamy, perfumy water. "Okay, I'll just …" Yami said and tried to get up … and failed miserably. She couldn't even lift her upper body.

"Stupid girl. Don't overexert yourself. You need your energy for getting better," Ace said and picked her up as if she weighed nothing.

"This is emb-b-barrassing!" she grouched but let him get off her boots and cloak and sit her in the tub, which was so large as if it had been layed out for four. "Haaaah …" she sighed and enjoyed the feeling of her body sinking into the hot water. "Tsk, luxurious b-bastard. Wanna come in t-too? I'm feeling kinda lonely in here."

* * *

"Well, actually …"

_Yes, yes, yes!_ the voice inside of his head screamed. But the last time he had trusted that noisy bastard he had ended up kissing her neck, and wasn't that just so not like him. Ah, either way. He justified it by thinking she really deserved a bit of affection, after all she had gone through in just one night. Like you comforted a child that had stumbled and hit its knee in the process.

That he hadn't felt like a father to her at all at that time didn't matter, right?

"Why not."

He was a bit surprised that she didn't seem the least bit surprised but just sighed again and closed her eyes.

Ace looked down on himself. His trousers (his one and only pair of trousers!) seemed like they could use a bath themselves … and for some reason, he didn't feel like undressing completely. He felt itchy and restless and a bit nervous too, perhaps a bath could calm him down. After all they had gone through that night, even the thought of taking a bath together with Yami (naked) wasn't as appalling as it would have been usually. In fact, it wasn't appalling at all.

He climbed into the tub at the opposite end, finding the water warm and nice and comfortable, and leaned back himself. "Damn, that's good." Positioning his legs on both sides of hers, he took one of her feet in his hand. "Still cold?"

"A bit."

He took the other foot and started rubbing them slightly. Yami gave another sigh with a smile directed at him, then went still for quite a long time. Her body was almost wholly under water, so when she finally fell asleep her head slumped down, effectively submerging her completely.

"Don't do that!" Ace exclaimed, shooting forward and yanking her out of the water by her shoulders.

"Wha!" Yami awoke with a start, blindly fumbling with her hands which ended up in his face before she could gain full consciousness.

"Don't go sleeping in here!"

"Ah, sorry … I'm so tired …"

He noticed with a bit of relief that her shivering had stopped. Oh, and he also noticed that she was … well, naked. And in his arms. Only his major self-control prevented him from throwing her across the whole room at that sensational discovery.

A sudden urge to suck in that finger of hers just next to his mouth flared up, and he barely managed not to do that. Because it certainly was a bad idea. Just as bad as looking down on her, seeing those beautiful breasts covered with the slightest bit of lather and practically screaming for his touch. And speaking of screaming for his touch, there was a certain part of his own anatomy momentarily doing just that.

He could bow down so easily, drawing circles around her nipples with his tongue, making her feel good, making up for the stress … and then some …

"Uh, you can let me go now?"

He jerked out of his daydreams and quickly sat her down again before doing the same, folding his arms in front of his chest in a defensive attitude and bending his legs, drawing them close to the rest of his body in embarrassment.

Probably the worst thing was that she hadn't even noticed anything, and how bad a guy was he, ogling her when she was utterly defenceless as well as weakened and in need of help, more specifically _his_ help?

But then again, something was wrong with him, thinking it was bad that she hadn't noticed. Because if she had, she'd either be satisfied in a very wrong kind of way or suppose the wrong things once again.

Ah, but wasn't he truly lousy. Getting an erection by looking at her that way when it really was the last thing he should do now … or even think about. She could still be in mortal danger, and all he could think of was switching places with the foam bubbles on her breasts, really, that was just so poor he couldn't believe it. And the poorest thing about it was, he still couldn't stop these thoughts, because didn't she just look like in that dream he'd had last night …

A splashing sound pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Don't fall asleep, goddammit!"

* * *

Five minutes later, they were lying in the large bed, covered with heavy sheets, and Yami was dressed in the clothes Toshiro had brought about. She was tired and already half-asleep.

Ace was tired, too – but this tiredness didn't prevent him from being nervous as hell. Drying Yami off had been heaven and hell at the same time. He had done his best not to look – but of course, he had had to touch her. While he had done the drying for himself with just a little raising of his body temperature, he would have had to press her against him for that procedure – which he didn't feel ready for. He still felt like a pervert, which didn't improve his situation at all. And that major hard-on he was sporting still wouldn't go away, no matter how he tried. And wasn't it just his luck that in her dazedness, she pressed up against him as if she wanted to crawl right into him, seeking for his warmth.

"Mmh," Yami sighed, and Ace gulped hard at the sound. "G'night. Sorry for not being … excited today."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He heard a small giggle and grimaced. Just his damn luck. "I'm talking about that … torch … in your pants."

He seriously contemplated headbutting her. "Your own fault, baka. Don't get so near or I'll use it no matter how tired you are."

She chuckled, which sent little delicious vibrations through her body. "You won't."

"Shut up and sleep."

Well, at least she was warm now.

But he was in for one hell of a sleepless night.

* * *

**Author's note:** See, it's all lovey-dovey now. Did I make up for last chapter's cliffy and the long wait? I seriously hope so. And now I'm going to make some sushi with my brother. Yosha!

_**Coming up: **_

"When we're down that freaking mountain you'll have to massage not only my feet but my whole damn body!" – mm-hmm …

"Are you an idiot?" he asked himself – out loud. – I just like this one.

It had started to snow again, and the slowly falling, huge, soft snowflakes created an atmosphere that seemed almost dream-like. – I love that picture …


	31. It Was Nothing

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 31: ****It Was Nothing**

They slept until afternoon. Ace was the first to wake up, and he did his best to scramble away from sleeping Yami without waking her. His stomach was one empty hole, positively roaring for food to fill it. One cup of soup was all he had eaten in a whole day. When he thought about it like that, he got even hungrier.

Glancing back to Yami's silent and evenly breathing figure under the heavy blankets, he came to the conclusion that it was better to just let her sleep and go down to get food, then bring it back up. God knew she deserved it.

In the kitchen, he plundered the large refrigerator (_Why the heck does one guy need such a huge thing?_) and took all he could that looked good. Snatching a tray from a small stack, he piled the food up on it and wanted to go up again when a voice from the doorway let him stop.

"I see you are up. Are you ready to go?"

Looking at Toshiro who was standing there with his face as neutral as always, Ace shook his head. "Yami's not awake yet. And we need to eat something first."

"I see." The boy kept a straight face while his eyes bored into the fire user's. "I do not want to rush you, but you see, Izuru, Momo, and I have been in this house for so long that we cannot wait to get out of here."

"I understand, but why can't you go first? Yami and I will come later."

"I do not wish to leave you here. You have both been attacked and could suffer from possible after-effects of the fight. Therefore we should go together."

Ace stifled every protest, since he knew he couldn't stand a chance against the boy's argumentation. In addition, he seemed to be serious. Not that Ace feared a breakdown in the middle of the mountain, but he didn't dislike their company that much. "Well, then you've gotta wait. Yami's in bad shape, I don't know if she can even move today. I don't want to wake her up just yet. She needs her sleep."

"I see," Toshiro repeated and nodded once. "Then we will wait."

Leaving the boy in the kitchen, Ace made his way back. Up in the room, as soon as he opened the door, he found Yami on her back with her eyes closed but a strained expression on her face, hissing through clenched teeth.

"Are you awake?" he asked and put the tray on the table. No answer, but the hissing changed into soft whimpering. _Guess not_, he thought and approached the bed.

Her eyes squeezing shut, she jerked her head to the other side. Her fists were clenched at her sides, above the blanket. "N-No! Go … away …"

Ace scratched the back of his neck, uncertain about whether it was better to wake her up or to let her sleep. "Are you okay …?" he asked despite being sure not to get an answer.

"No! No! Leave me! Leave me alone! Don't you dare to …"

_What the hell is she dreaming?_ he wondered, but it seemed so obvious. Of course it must be about Aizen. Perhaps it was only now that the state of shock was activating – after all, she had almost died twice yesterday.

The way she was kicking away her blanket wasn't good for her at all, though.

In an attempt to fix it, he tried to pull it up again but failed miserably. It was a tangled mess, partially underneath her, and since he didn't want to wake her he didn't try to get it right again. Touching her arm lightly, he noticed that she was remarkably cold once more, which also wasn't good. Narrowing his eyes in thought, he finally decided that it just couldn't be helped. He jerked his boots off and climbed upon the bed, taking his place next to her once again, then pulling the other blanket over both of them.

"Mmmhmm … no, don't …"

"Shut up," he whispered, pulling her cold body towards himself where he could warm it. And almost instantly her struggling also stopped, leaving her breathing heavily on the side.

When he had her plane against his chest, she gave a little sigh and went completely still, as if she had waited just for him to come.

"Tsk," he muttered with a lopsided smirk. "Say all you want, but you still do need me, stupid girl."

And somehow, that was a nice feeling.

* * *

"Mmh …" Yami sighed when she opened her eyes. She felt great and warm and relaxed and very comfortable, and even the vague memories of another dream of Mahogany Island couldn't disturb her.

"You awake?" she heard Ace whisper from behind her, and smiled.

"Yeah," she told him and snuggled up against that deliciously warm body. "Gosh, you're so incredibly useful."

"Well, thanks," he answered dryly and she heard him yawn.

She chuckled, relieved that it almost didn't hurt. "Thanks for playing heater once again."

"Couldn't let you go icicle. Against my principles, you know."

"So nice of you." She let out another satisfied sigh. "I could lie here like this forever."

"Hm," he said and went back to silence.

She was a bit surprised that he didn't jump his "I don't like you and I don't like being near you, not even a bit" train once again, but who was she to complain. She didn't really feel like fighting now.

"The others want to go as soon as possible," he then broke the silence, and Yami nodded once.

"Don't want to spend the days here either."

"Can you move?" Ace asked, taking his arm away from where it had rested so comfortably on her waist.

"I don't know. Let's try …"

Carefully, she wanted to move her leg over the edge of the bed. It felt as heavy as a lead weight, and she groaned in annoyance.

"Well, that's a no," he stated.

"This sucks!" she exclaimed, pinching her leg which hurt both the leg and the arm from the movement.

"Keep cool. It'll come back."

"But it still sucks!" she whined and looked at him with a pout. "Can _you_ move?"

"I went to the kitchen some time ago."

"That's not fair!" She frowned at her legs, contemplating to pinch them again.

"You suffered the most from his attacks. It's only natural."

"But still," she muttered, still pouting. "I hate the thought of not being able to move. Let alone daring to climb down a freakin mountain like that."

"I can't change it," Ace said and, standing up, pointed towards the table. "Eat something, then it'll be better."

"Hmph."

Yet, she couldn't stop her stomach from growling loud at the sight of all those delicacies, even if she could only wonder how she should get there and them into her mouth. All her limbs felt heavy as hell, and she felt weak. And how she hated it.

"Listen," Ace began, standing in front of her side of the bed, and she stared up at him. "I know you don't like this at all, but this is an exceptional situation, okay?"

"What are you …?" she asked, confused until he bent down and slid his arms under her body full of dead weight, one under the back of her knees and one around her shoulders. "No! Oh no, you don't …!" she protested, but it only made him smile – which, in turn, made her even more furious. "That's not fair!" she whined as he lifted her up as if she weighed nothing at all. "Just you wait! As soon as I'm able to lift my hand, I'll tear your face into shreds!"

"Idle threat, crazy girl. Stop squirming or I'll drop you, and that'll hurt, I promise." He looked dead serious. And even if she didn't really believe him, Yami resumed to frowning so much it almost got her a headache. Not that she didn't already have one, though. This was just not fair, why could he move and she freakin couldn't? And _of course_ he had to play good Samaritan once again. It just made her sick.

"I know you don't like it. And let me tell ya something: I'm not particularly fond of it, either. But can't you just be reasonable for once? You know as well as I do that if I sat you on that bed, you wouldn't get any food until next week." He looked her in the eyes, and she finally averted hers, shoving her lower lip into a small pout. "Just let me help you this once, okay? I don't want to stay in this goddamn castle for the rest of my life."

"Mhmph."

"Guess that's a yes," he sighed and sat her down on a chair in front of the table before going back to gather up the blanket from the bed and drape it around her shoulders.

"Thanks," she said without looking at him but staring the table into wooden little pieces.

"Now let's eat."

* * *

An hour later, they were standing in the castle's entrance hall. Toshiro and Izuru had their sister/friend wrapped in a thick cloak against the cold, and handed Yami a similar one, for which she was really thankful.

Momo looked a bit better today. They'd had her washed and put into bed, where she had slept like nothing before, and she even smiled a bit, seeing the two persons that had changed their misery into happiness.

However, time had left its marks on her. Her black hair was lustreless from malnourishment, her face was awfully pale, and her deep brown eyes gave evidence for the misdeeds that she had had to suffer from for the last few years. Ace supposed that Aizen had fed off her because of lack of any other victims, which meant she was lacking energy as well. Of course she wouldn't be able to do the descent, and the boys surely didn't want her to. They had agreed to carry her in turns, and momentarily she sat on Toshiro's back with her arms securely around his neck and her chin on his shoulder. And guess what – the boy actually smiled.

Ace heard Yami sigh on his own back, but there wasn't any other way. He was stronger than the boys, and besides, he was hot. In the literal sense. And metaphorical, but that was another story. The main point was that Yami would get the warmth she needed so badly.

On the way down, Ace thought about why she was always putting up so much resistance against some help when she needed it, while on another day she could come crawling into his sleeping bag, demanding that he rid her of the cold. Why could she claim his help when she wanted to, but when he offered it to her by himself she would go crazy and reject it? Sometimes he'd really like to be in her head. She'd make him go crazy one day.

"Ugh, why is it so cold all of a sudden?" Yami whined. "It wasn't that cold yesterday!"

"Yes it was, and yes you were highly perceptive towards it. You just don't remember, and you're cold even without being out here, so that makes cold times two."

"But I shouldn't feel it that much when I'm cold either way!" she went on complaining, and he smiled without noticing. "When we're down that freaking mountain you'll have to massage not only my feet but my whole damn body!"

… and wasn't that just horrible …

Ace swallowed hard at that idea. He saw a mental picture of it, them in a comfortably warm hotel room with a soft bed full of fluffy pillows, and Yami stretched out on those pillows on her back, posing naked for the snapshot he'd make mentally. Her eyes were half closed as she looked at him with that special expression, her lips opened slightly and her hair spread all around her head like a dark red halo. She would make the softest little noises as his hands roamed all over her skin, over her milky white shoulders, her collarbone, down to those wonderful breasts with their delicious little nipples …

"Are you an idiot?" he asked himself – out loud.

"What?" she asked in surprise.

"Nothing." He went silent for a moment while mentally slapping himself in the face. No way he'd ever do things like that. No way in hell.

He stopped suddenly as he realised it.

"That's it," he said slowly.

"What's going on with you? Are you going mad? And if yes, could you put me down first, please?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"Aaah." She snorted. "Of course."

It was just her thing. She was demanding all the time, catching people off-guard and demanding anything of them. But when she needed help, really needed it, and it was offered to her, she didn't want it. And that was the point he didn't understand.

Like, it hadn't been a problem at all for her when she had come to him every night in the desert because she had needed warmth. Getting him to help her hadn't been a problem then. Was it just that she liked annoying other people, and thus it was okay to get others to help her, but only if she wanted? Because if he gave it of his own free will, she didn't want it anymore, like when he had opted to give her a piggyback in the desert.

It just made no sense at all.

Because then, there were those rare moments in which she did accept his help without complaining, like for example when he had crawled into her tent to keep her warm. Those moments were kinda precious, he thought and almost snorted.

_Yeah, __very precious. _

* * *

It was already dark when they came into the village. Nobody was in the snow-filled streets, everything was silent. It had started to snow again, and the slowly falling, huge, soft snowflakes created an atmosphere that seemed almost dream-like. It was as if the white pieces of fluff were supposed to make at least some noise when touching the ground, but seeing as snow is snow, they didn't. Everywhere was grave quiet.

"Where are all the people?" Yami whispered into Ace's ear, and sniffed quietly. She didn't dare to make a sound, and everyone seemed to agree.

"In the houses, presumably," Ace answered just as quietly, and stopped to look if at least some of the houses had light shining out of the windows. But they all seemed to be barricaded with massive wooden window shutters. Quite hostile, but whaddaya know, they had been taught that way only. With the enemy right beside them …

They saw Izuru looking sidewards at his white-haired friend, who nodded. At that, the blond smiled, set his sister down, and went towards one of the houses with her hand in his. He knocked loudly, and they waited.

When finally the door was opened, the expression of the woman standing there changed instantly. "Oh … Goodness!" she breathed, and soon they were lying in each others' arms, crying and laughing alternately. Toshiro just stood there smiling, with the bags in his hands and over his shoulders, until the woman (who seemed to be Izuru's and Momo's mother) took him into her arms as well.

"Family reunion," Yami muttered. She had a large lump in her throat and averted her eyes from the scene before something worse could happen.

"Let's put you down." Ace let her slide to the ground carefully, where he supported her with one arm around her waist while stretching his back. "Ahh … wonderful."

Yami smiled and sniffed again.

In no time, doors flew open and people gathered in the streets, shouting incredulously, laughing and crying at the same time and crowding the three homecomers, pelting them with questions of all kind.

When Toshiro pointed at Ace and Yami, however, they went silent and turned as one. It was creepy. They stared at the two pirates, and Yami started to feel a bit uneasy. "Will they eat us now?" she murmured just so loud that Ace could hear.

"Don't think so," he murmured back, but the frown on his face told her that he wasn't sure at all.

That was, before the crowd made a way for the woman that had opened her door first. She made several quick steps in their direction, before she fell down on her knees in front of them. The snow piled up to her hips, but she didn't care. "Thank you," she whispered, and as she looked up at them, tears streamed down her face that had certainly once been beautiful beyond description, but was now lined with the sorrow, pain and misery she must have experienced. "God, thank you. Thank you so much."

Yami automatically took up one hand to grasp the rim of Ace's cloak. She was so confused and uneasy that she forgot the pain that movement caused her.

"It's okay," Ace said calmly and with a soft smile. Yami wondered how the hell he could stay so calm. She decided not to open her mouth.

"What can I do to thank you properly?" the woman went on whispering, while the other villagers now all bowed their heads.

"Nothing, madam. Please, stand up. You'll catch a cold like this."

However, the woman insisted, and the crowd chimed in. And so half an hour later, the two pirates found themselves sitting around a large campfire together with the rest of the village, with sticks in their hands some women had given them. The upper ends of the sticks were wrapped in dough that had been whipped up in a hurry, and they had been told to put it into the fire so that the dough would properly roast there.

"Stick bread, huh?" Yami watched her hand shaking vigorously as she held the stick above the flames, until Ace grabbed the thing for her and removed the dough from the end to hand it to her. She gave him a small smile and tried to feel not all too uncomfortable.

Not because of him, no. But try to be among people who had wanted to send you into your certain death just one day ago, and you'll surely find it uncomfortable. Yami just couldn't get over it, no matter how hard she tried and no matter what she told herself. That they had been forced to do it. That they had had no choice. That they were just innocent people who had wanted to live their lives in peace, while the monster in the castle had stolen their children.

She smiled sadly while sticking pieces of the roasted dough into her mouth. It tasted like … well, bread that was not salted. But she guessed that it was the feeling that counted.

"You don't look happy." She turned to Ace, who was looking at her quizzically, and shrugged weakly.

"Can't say I'm happy. I don't want to be here."

Ace watched the people around them as they shared their little possessions to throw a party that ended their slavery. Sake was being reached around, stick breads were roasting everywhere, and everyone was happy. It was difficult to see the kind of people in them that had rejected them just yesterday, that had sent them to where they knew they would die, that had been as hostile towards them as was possible without fighting them.

"I get your point," Ace said quietly and took another ball of dough to wrap it around the end of his stick. He put it into the flames. "But we can't just go now. We'd have to walk to the raft, which certainly isn't good for your health at the moment, and then try to get to the next island. I don't think we'd get there fast at the moment."

She looked at him in confusion, but then she realised. The raft was propelled with fire, with his energy. Of course he wouldn't be able to go all out, not after that horrible night. "Is that why you're not using your abilities to roast the dough?"

He grinned. "No, that's because it's kinda fun."

Yami chuckled softly and leaned her head on his shoulder. She was utterly surprised when she suddenly found a piece of bread in front of her mouth.

"Eat. You need it."

She smiled again, broader this time, and obediently opened her mouth. She felt his fingers touch her lips for a moment, and idly mused about whether he disliked it or didn't care at all. Because she certainly didn't care right now. She was so tired again, he could have done anything with her. Not that he'd do, though. Unfortunately.

* * *

They stayed another fifteen minutes before they asked a passing man where they could stay for the night. He pointed at Izuru's and Momo's mother, who was sitting a few metres away, her face a beatific smile and her arms around her children and Toshiro. By spotting them, she stood up and led them to her house, where she had prepared a mattress in the living room. "I hope you're okay with one bed?" she asked worriedly. "And excuse the bad state of the bedclothes, but we haven't had any visitors here for … too long." She smiled sadly, and they assured her that they'd be okay with anything now as long as they could sleep on it.

The woman took their hands and bowed her head with a smile before she left and closed the door behind her.

Without much talking, Ace helped Yami sit down and get under the sheets. He thought about sleeping in the armchair, but touching her cold skin reminded him of how inconvenient that would be, and so he just lay down next to her.

"Why are you even thinking about it?" she asked as if she had read his thoughts. Turning her face to him, she gave him an amused glance. "You can't escape from me, cowboy."

"I guess," he sighed, but he didn't really mean it. He had forgotten how nice it was to have someone sleeping beside you in the night, and suspected himself to have gotten quite used to it. Even if it was Yami.

She snuggled her nose into his collarbone and let out a satisfied sigh. They both went silent, and just when Ace thought she was asleep, she spoke up again. "Cowboy?"

"Yeah?"

"Did I say thank you?"

He blinked. "I don't really know, but it doesn't matter."

She raised her head from where it lay and looked at him. Her expression was serious. "It does."

"Do what you must," he said and couldn't help smiling.

She struggled with the blanket and his arms for a while before she was at eye level with him. He looked at her questioningly, but as an answer she bent forward and pressed her lips onto his in a long, lingering kiss. He was surprised, but he didn't move. It was kinda nice. Her lips tasted sweet and just how he had remembered them for so long. It was a familiar feeling that made him feel comfortable and warm and hazy.

"Thank you," she breathed when she finally drew back, and placed another little kiss on his nose. "Thank you."

"It was nothing," he whispered, and his throat suddenly felt somehow constricted. She smiled and nestled her face up to his shoulder once again. A few moments later, she was breathing evenly and peacefully. He could feel her breath on the skin of his throat.

"It was nothing," he whispered into the darkness, and smiled.

* * *

**Author's note:** FLUFF! hehe^^ I like fluff ... And I like stick bread. It's very common here, especially among children. But I love it even today, and even if it tastes like nothing (most people put awfully little salt in there). It really is the feeling that counts. Sitting around a campfire, baking your own bread … it's fun. The thing is, you have to wait until the bread is completely cooked without either being impatient or letting it burn. Then it gets black. I'm not a good stick bread maker, let me tell you that. But it's still really cool^^

_**Coming up:**_

Without any prior warning he threw himself at her, effectively pulling her down, shoving her into the thin mattress and pinning her body down while holding her arms above her head. – I wanted to write something like this for so long already …

From there, a hill was rising steeply, covered with snow as high as Yami's waist. She stopped, horrified. "No. No, no, no." – Well, time to torture Yami for a change … (Oh, not like I didn't already do that.)

He watched her face, looking so innocent in her sleep, felt her even breathing, and asked himself when they had gotten that close. – Well I'm asking myself that, too.


	32. Departures

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 32: ****Departures**

Ace awoke at the first daring sunray that made its way through the small clean window into the room where he and Yami were sleeping. Since the villagers had partied until none of them had been able to stand anymore, he was the first to wake up. After looking around in confusion, he recalled what had happened the day before – their arrival in the village, the stick bread, their uneasiness with the situation, and Izuru's and Momo's mother kindly offering them her living room in her already very small house to sleep in.

Oh, and Yami's "Thank you". A very nice "Thank you", indeed. He could get used to that kind of thing …

Haah, one moment. What was he thinking? Must be some kind of dizziness so early in the morning.

Yawning broadly, he tried to unfold his arms from around Yami's frame, but she held them tight in front of her chest, mumbling sleepily when he started taking them away. "Noo, I don't want cheesecake …"

Ace snorted with laughter, which then made her wake up completely. "What are you babbling about?" she asked tiredly and took her hands up to rub her eyes, which looked rather cute.

"I should ask you the same," Ace grinned and took his arms away from her. "Ouch! It's gone dead!" he moaned and shook the limb to get any feeling back into it. "How long did you lie on my poor arm?"

"Not my fault," Yami answered and sat up. "You could have taken it away."

He eyed her up. "You can move again?"

She seemed surprised and looked down at herself. "Seems so."

"Nice," he grinned. "Then I don't have to carry you."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Rude bastard. And here I thought I were _thin_, didn't you say that?"

"Doesn't mean you're not getting heavy after, let's say, four hours."

She huffed while trying to get up. "That only tells me you're a weakling, cowboy."

Of course he couldn't just leave that unanswered. Without any prior warning he threw himself at her, effectively pulling her down, shoving her into the thin mattress and pinning her body down while holding her arms above her head.

"Who's the weakling?" he smirked as she gasped in surprise, his face only inches away from hers. But it didn't bother him.

"What …!" she exclaimed and struggled to free herself, but to no avail. He was way heavier than her. "Let me go!"

He smirked rather devilishly. "First admit you're weaker." He didn't know why, but somehow her struggling only made him want to stay as he was for a bit longer. Much longer.

"The hell I will!" she snorted, but then a grin spread on her face. Slowly, she took first one, then both her legs up to wrap them around his waist. She looked up at him with a satisfied expression. "You know, this position is kinda compromising," she said. "If someone came in now …"

"What do I care? I don't know them either way," he just smirked, and enjoyed her disappointed face. "But it's very good for doing this." And with that, he used his free hand to slide up her shirt, and when she stared at him incredulously – he started tickling her.

"WAAAAAH!" She immediately started screaming and wriggling furiously beneath him, but it only made him laugh.

"You'll wake the nice lady, so be quiet," he told her but didn't stop.

"Ahahahaha … stooop … don't … hahahaha!" She threw her body around, but her movements were quite limited. Finally, she couldn't find a better solution but to give him a serious headbutt. Which worked.

"OWWW!"

He was so surprised from the pain suddenly exploding in his forehead that he was momentarily distracted from his actions. She used that moment to shove him aside and stand up quickly. "Are you an idiot?" he groaned while holding his head and shooting sparks at her as she stood looming over him. Her arms were folded in front of her chest, and she looked grimly.

"You're the idiot," she said and picked up her rucksack. "And now let's go."

"What? Why? And this really hurts!" Pouting, Ace rubbed his forehead and made no move to pick up his things.

"I hate it, okay? And I'm not weak." She didn't look at him, but her tone made it obvious that she didn't take his _attack_ as lightly as him.

"Oh, damn! Don't make such a silly fuss out of everything, okay? I was just kidding!" Why did he feel so angry all of a sudden? When everything had been alright, even great, and he'd tried to get close to her just this once …

He heard her sigh, then she seemed to force a smile on her face as she turned towards him again. "I'm sorry. I'm not … Sometimes I'm too tense and all."

Damn. Who could be angry at such a cute face?

"But let's get out of here, yes?"

Ace frowned and took his bag, but he didn't really understand. "Jeez, what's with you? I don't get it …"

He saw her grip around the string of her rucksack tighten a bit. "I just don't enjoy being here, where everything only reminds me of how those people wanted to turn us in to death. I want to get off this island as fast as possible. Besides," she added and her smile turned pained, "the weather here isn't the finest, I have to say."

Yeah, she was right. They should go.

* * *

They ate breakfast while walking, when the village was already out of their sight. The things they had taken from the castle would probably last some days, at least until they reached the next island.

"Where'll we go, actually? And what date is it? I kinda lost count," Yami asked as they tramped through the thick layer of snow. Soon they would arrive at the end of the forest, where the snow would reach even higher. Yami was so looking forward to it, she couldn's describe it.

"The next island. And it's the 23rd of August."

She threw him a quick glance before paying attention to her feet again. "And then?"

"Aizen wasn't lying. One of the men at the village confirmed me that Teach hasn't been sighted anywhere on this island, and the Log Pose needs several days to set so he would have been here for that amount of time," Ace answered and sighed. His breath formed a cloud in the air in front of him. "But that means nothing. He could have just kept hidden. Seems like we have to go on."

"Aww, man," Yami groaned. "Doesn't anyone know where that damn guy is hiding? Easier to find a needle in a haystack."

Ace shrugged. "He can hide as much as he wants. I'll still find him."

"Optimistic as always. Oh, but now that you mention it – we haven't said goodbye to Lizzie!"

He seemed surprised. "Have we."

"Yup! Oh, how could we forget him? Damn!" she exclaimed.

"You know we can't take that animal with us, don't you?"

"I know, but that's why we have to say goodbye. I hope we'll find him …"

"We won't go back. You know that, right?" Ace asked and shot a glance at her from the side.

Yami sighed. "Yah …"

They walked in silence for several minutes, until they reached the tree line. From there, a hill was rising steeply, covered with snow as high as Yami's waist. She stopped, horrified. "No. No, no, no."

Ace looked at her almost worriedly. "You're already panting. And you're pale again. This isn't good for you."

"Say what," she mumbled.

"I can carry you," he suggested with a neutral face.

"I … I think I can manage."

"Be reasonable. Come here. I won't bite you." He reached his hand out for her, but she shook her head.

"No, really. At least let me try." She gave him a small smile. "Okay?"

Ace shrugged. "Then try. But don't complain about your wet clothes if you fall into the snow."

She nodded, and concentrated. Transforming into shadow, which was a bit difficult, she propelled herself upwards, over the slope and to the top, where she materialised again. "Phew," she muttered and wiped the sweat off her forehead. "This has never been that exhausting."

She watched Ace climb the hill. It was easy for him: the snow hissed angrily at every step he took, only to surrender to the heat and melt into small puddles. His boots must be wet, but as if that were a problem for him.

"Why don't you do the same? Would spare us time," Yami asked when he finally stood next to her.

"Need my energy for the raft," he reminded her. "I'm feeling rather good, but one never knows."

"Then it's better if you don't carry me," she said and jumped down the hill, transforming in mid-air to take the same way down as before. She knew she couldn't do this for long, but it was probably less exhausting than to stumble up and down that hill.

When they arrived at the coast, Yami was drenched in sweat, half-frozen, and wet to her bones. Though they had agreed on her following in Ace's tracks, wading in water wasn't that great either. He had promised her to dry her thoroughly as soon as they reached the raft, and he kept his promise. Again she suppressed a moan at the incredible experience of being wrapped in his warmth, of his fingers travelling through her hair to free it from individual snowflakes, and of her body slowly regaining its feeling.

"Thanks," she smiled when he let go of her, now completely dry himself. He smiled back, but his attention was soon focused on loosening the rope that tied the raft to a small tree.

This time, Yami didn't have to sit clinging to the mast. Instead, she was allowed the honour of sitting in Ace's lap for once, since the raft was meant for one person only, and didn't have that much space.

"But don't get used to it," he warned her when she let out a satisfied sigh. She was too tired to protest, and decided to deal with that when the time would come.

* * *

Due to favourable wind conditions, they were able to travel much faster than when they had come to Turquoise Island from Alabasta. Also, Ace didn't have to spend that much of his energy, and when they reached their destination, it had just become evening.

On the way, he was able to think a lot, since Yami had fallen asleep again. He watched her face, looking so innocent in her sleep, felt her even breathing, and asked himself when they had gotten that close.

He was well aware that just one week before, he had avoided any contact she had attempted to make. He had avoided her like the plague, while at the same time had somehow longed for showing her his best side. Which was strange. He had fought with himself a lot, had fought with her. They had done that even today, but somehow, it was different from before. Also, he didn't draw back anymore when she touched him, and even touched her himself – if it could not be avoided, that is.

He was still resisting her countless advances on him, but yet … they had somehow, secretly, without him noticing, become something close to … friends.

He stared at the ocean in front of him, and slowly, the island they were heading towards came in sight. Whether that was good or bad, he could not determine. But he could definitely say that it wasn't a bad feeling at all.

"Wake up," he finally said, shaking Yami with his left hand around her shoulders.

"Wha?" she gasped and tried to sit up, which wasn't so easy, seeing as she was sitting in his lap, bent backwards around his arm. She almost lost her balance in the process.

"Easy there," he chuckled, amused at her clumsiness.

"Oh. We there?" she yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"Obviously."

"What do we do now?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at the coast in front of them.

"We'll sail around the coast and look for a harbour."

When they did just that, they discovered that the island was rather small. Around fifty percent of it were covered by forest, and at the opposite side, they found a neat little town behind a harbour with several fishing boats and other ships bobbing up and down on the light waves. Next to it was a tiny slip of sand beach, which was ideal for them to dismount. Also, the island seemed to be a spring island with ideal temperatures.

"Jackpot," Yami sighed and hopped off the raft (and out of Ace's arms) as soon as the raft touched sand. However, she miscalculated the waves and her right foot splashed into the shallow seawater, which made her almost topple over and fall face-first into the sand. Ace almost laughed his head off, earning himself an angry glance.

After deciding on staying in a hotel, they got themselves a room and Yami threw herself on the large bed immediately. "Gosh! Heaven!" she sighed as she bounced up and down.

"Well, it's not like you hadn't slept in a bed for that long," Ace snorted and dumped his rucksack on the ground.

"Don't care," she mumbled and closed her eyes. "I can sleep on the ground just as well, but I like beds better."

"You're not alone with this." He stretched his arms above his head and moved towards the bathroom. "I'll wash myself now. Do whatever you like."

"Actually," she began and he could practically hear the smirk in her voice, "I thought we could –"

He whirled around and scowled at her. "When will you get it? I won't, and I repeat, I _won't_ sleep with you, so give it up already!" Now all his thoughts about being friends and feeling good had vanished. It was the same thing over and over again. Why didn't she stop being such a nuisance?

Her smirk froze on her face, and Ace pursed his lips, still scowling. So he had been right …

"Well, actually, I wanted to suggest that we get drunk together tonight just for fun and because we're alive," she said calmly while practically piercing through him with her sharp glare. "But I guess that was a No."

Now he was the one to freeze. His jaw dropped, but he couldn't think of anything to say as she stood up and walked to the door. "Later."

He still gaped after her, even when the door had already closed behind her. Then, taking his arm up to scratch the back of his neck in embarrassment, he sighed. "Jeez," he muttered and went into the bathroom. "How would I know?"

But, together with the picture of her taken aback expression on his mind, it couldn't change the fact that he felt like a complete asshole.

* * *

Yami walked down the stairs slowly, and almost expected him to follow her. Which he didn't do, fortunately. For him, that is.

God … she was so angry. She could have smashed him right into the next wall.

"It's not like I did anything!" she growled at a seagull sitting on the handrail of the five steps outside. "I didn't do anything at all!"

Stomping towards the street that started to get empty at this time of day, she drove her hand through her hair furiously while scowling at the ground in front of her. _That baka! As if he knew everything! Acting so self-complacent all the time! He knows nothing! Nothing!_

She wanted to go in there again and hit him on the head properly. She wanted to punch him, to throw him into the sea, to …

… _leave. _

Surprised about her realisation, she stopped suddenly, ignoring a woman who almost bumped into her. Yes, that made sense. That was what she had to do now.

"Sorry, how long does the Log Pose need to set here?" she asked a passerby, who told her it was exactly one day.

_Fine._ Turning her head, she hurried back towards the hotel, and jumped up the stairs. Before entering their room, she first spied through the keyhole, and heard water running. Silently, she opened the door and snatched her rucksack from the bed. With one last angry glance in the direction of the bathroom, she dematerialised and swooshed through the open window.

Her steps, which were carrying her to the island's harbour, were determined. She knew what to do, and it was the for the best. When this was settled …

And she was lucky. A crew of six men was just stevedoring a middle-sized ship, looking as if they were ready to depart. "Where you going?" she asked one of them, who just shrugged.

"Lilac."

She nodded with a winning smile. "Then take me with you!" Before the man could protest she had already pressed two coins into the palm of his hand, and wanted to hop onto the ship. But then she hesitated, remembering something.

After a short struggle with herself she finally turned around again and, spotting a boy hanging around nearby, went to talk to him.

At first, the boy only looked sceptical, but when she rewarded him in the same way as the sailor before, he beamed at her. She told him exactly what to do, and got on the ship where the sailors eyed her suspiciously. She couldn't care less.

Making herself comfortable with her cloak, she looked back at the small island as it slowly, but steadily disappeared from her sight.

* * *

**Author's note: **Admit it. You're hating me right now. But I can't change it, I'm sorry ... (Actually I can, since I'm the author, but I don't wanna :-P) Thanks **xXxDragonxPhoenixXx** for this great idea.**  
**

**Coming up:**

"Crap," he sighed when he stood on the street again. "Where did she wander off to?" – Ace's search for the Crazy Girl.

_Annoying. She's so damn annoying_, he thought and turned on his heel. – You don't mean that …?

"She's absolutely nothing to me, and I don't like her, and she's nothing but damn annoying. It's a good thing I finally got rid of her." – Ace!


	33. She's Gone

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 33: She's Gone**

"Really, how would I know?" Ace muttered as he propped himself up on the sink in the small bathroom, and stared at his reflection. It stared back relentlessly out of deep black eyes, and he sighed.

He knew it would be for the best if he just ran after her. If they could talk about this and settle it … if he could apologise …

But he didn't know what to say to her. He felt like apologising indeed, he felt like the world's greatest asshole, but what should he say? _Sorry I assumed you were talking about sex, because you're doing that most of the time and it was only natural for me?_ Yeah, and that was the world's greatest apology for certain.

"Crap," he mumbled, kicked off his boots and yanked down his trousers to throw them onto the floor. Stepping under the searing hot shower he didn't even notice, he started to scold himself mentally.

Of course it didn't help. And when he had finished and clothed himself, and stepped into the bedroom, he was not at all surprised to not see her in there. Resolved to find her and apologise in any way that didn't sound like shit, he therefore grabbed the bag he always carried with him and made his way into the small town.

_Where would I go if I were her?_ he wondered when he strode down the streets, watching his environments for any glint of dark red. _A bar, probably._

His conscience was nagging at him, constantly cursing him for having been so rash. If he had only listened to the end, they would probably now sit in a bar, both of them, and have some fun with alcohol.

But of course he hadn't listened. And it was too late now anyways.

The oncoming evening made the streets empty already. There weren't that many people around anymore – it seemed like this island was just the stereotypical sleepy hamlet. As soon as the sun started to go down, everyone holed up in their respective shelters.

Due to the smallness of the island, Ace didn't need long to find a bar. Opening the door, he braced himself up for what he had to do. Apologising sure wasn't an easy thing, especially when you deserved what you were accused of.

He stepped into the small room and wasn't surprised to find very few people in it. He was a bit surprised, however, that Yami wasn't here. That he saw on first glance; her appearance just made her stand out anywhere.

Just to make sure, he approached the counter and ordered a glass of sake. After gulping it down, he asked the bartender whether a red-haired young woman had been here until recently. He knew about her abilities, after all – if she wanted to hide, she just did it. And he wouldn't blame her for not wanting to see him.

"Naw," the old man answered, shaking his bald head. "Han't been here, young fella."

"Thanks," Ace mumbled and left the bar. Standing on the street, he decided to look for another, which he found after half an hour in the shadiest quarter of all.

"Looks like her, doesn't it?" he muttered to himself with a small grin.

When he entered, however, she wasn't there. After three more glasses of sake, the bartender would finally answer him that she hadn't been there the whole evening, and that there were only two bars on this island.

"Crap," he sighed when he stood on the street again. "Where did she wander off to?"

It was dark outside by now, only here and there broken by a lonely lantern hanging somewhere. Ace decided to go back to the hotel, to see if she had come back in the meantime, but he didn't have that much hope. In fact, he was rather puzzled as to where on earth that girl could be if not in a bar, since that was the only place that wasn't sleeping at this hour. Beside this small town, the island only had a sandy shore and a large forest that covered the rest of it. But there was no chance she would be in there …

Already when he opened the door to the hotel room, he knew she wasn't there either. It was silent. Ace scratched his head and frowned. Now she was exaggerating, wasn't she? Running away for so long, just like a child …

_Annoying. She's so damn annoying_, he thought and turned on his heel.

He made his walk again and checked the bars – no Yami.

He went to the beach and looked everywhere – no Yami.

He even walked into the forest and shouted her name – no Yami.

And now he became worried. Could something have happened to her? What if she went into the forest and got attacked by an animal? Or someone in the town tried to assault her, or …

_Yeah, right. Remember who you're talking about_, he grumbled mentally. _There's absolutely no reason to be worried._ _She's probably in someone's house, getting laid just now, and I'm making a fool out of myself. _

On his way back to the hotel where he had decided to wait for her – she just had to come back eventually –, he passed the harbour, where a sleepy-looking man sat in a little booth to survey the area. Without much hope, Ace approached the booth.

"Hey, have you by any chance seen a red-haired girl around here? She's about this height," he indicated with his hand in front of his chest, "and around twenty years old."

The man looked at him questioningly, until he seemed to recall something. "Ah, you mean that beauty from today?"

_Beauty?_ Ace frowned but nodded. His heart started to beat faster – perhaps that guy knew where she had gone off to.

"Quite eye-catching, that cutie. Your girl?" the man grinned.

Ace shook his head impatiently. "No, not at all. Can you tell me where she went?"

The man seemed disappointed. "Oh. Then perhaps it won't hurt ya when I say she got on a merchant ship and sailed off to Lilac."

"Ahahahaha," Ace laughed. "You must be mistaken. She'd never do that." He turned to continue his way to the hotel, but the man's voice held him back.

"No mistaking," he said firmly. "I can tell ya what she's wearing, if you like."

Ace stopped. His brow furrowed. "The colour of her rucksack?" he asked calmly.

"Red with black stripes. That's funny, because I've never seen anyone with such a weird rucksack. Yours isn't bad either …"

"And she what," he quietly interrupted the guy who had continued rambling.

"I told ya, didn't I? She went on that ship and sailed away."

Ace's eyes widened. Cold crept up his back slowly, and his stomach suddenly felt as if someone had it in his hands, squeezing it tightly, constricting it. _Went on that ship and sailed away?_

"She'd never …!" he exclaimed fiercely. "She'd never go without a word of goodbye!"

The man looked surprised, then showed a little grin. "So it does hurt, huh? I feel kinda sorry for ya, pal. But it's like this."

Ace stared at the guy, trying to figure out whether he was lying. But his face wasn't that of a liar, and why should he?

He clenched his fists and looked at the pier. _Sailed off? Sailed off to where? Why? Why did she …? How could she …? What … What the hell?_

He couldn't believe it. Sure … Surely that was a misunderstanding? Surely … Surely that was all just a joke?

But the guy didn't look like he was joking.

"Aww, I'm reeeaaally sorry for ya," the man said with a sad smile, and shook his head. "To be young again …"

Without any word, Ace turned around on his heel and raced back to the hotel in lightning speed. The man shouted after him, but he didn't listen. He barged into the entry hall, practically flew up the stairs, slammed the door open …

… and found her belongings gone.

_What. _

A major numbness came over him and dulled his senses. _This. Just. Cannot. Be._

He stood in the middle of the hotel room, the place of his stupid mistake, and felt like … nothing. Finally, after a few more minutes of disbelief, he turned around and trudged off in the direction of the beach, his legs somewhat stupidly weak and his head full of her voice all of a sudden.

"_I couldn't forget that either …"_

Her voice when she had said this rang in his ears. Soft, very soft and gentle. So unlike her.

"_I still love your hair …"_

Was he dreaming? Was this just another fucking nightmare of which he would soon know nothing more?

"_Now … kiss me."_

If he'd only … No, it was better like this … But if he had … What would have changed? Would anything have changed at all?

"_You're so cute when you try to be pissed!"_

Her curious antics … He swallowed hard. She … she had left? Left here? Left him?

"_I like you."_

If she did, why had she left? Without a word, without anything?

"_Now would be a good time to pay me back that kiss you still owe me …"_

His hand moved up and through his hair fluttering in the nightly wind. This … this had to be a misunderstanding, right? Not even she would do such a thing, right? Quarrels could be sorted out, there was no need to run away … to leave …

"_I could lie here like this forever."_

Forever? Forever? Words, empty words. If she had meant them … she'd still be here.

"_I'm sorry. I'm not … Sometimes I'm too tense and all."_

Her whole being, her strangeness, her boldness. He had said he hated it …

"_Actually, I thought we could –"_

Why? Why had he said it? Why hadn't he listened?

His heart told him that it was reality, that it was not a misunderstanding, that she wouldn't just pop up somewhere and be cheery and joyful and impertinent like always.

Somehow, it hurt. It hurt because it just wasn't supposed to be this way, it hurt because he deserved at least one word of goodbye, and it hurt because he had never wanted it to be like this. To … _end_ like this.

He let himself fall into the smooth sand, still staring into space. It was as if his field of vision was narrowed down to a piece of nothing. He felt like he was blind, and deaf, and paralysed. All he could hear was his own heartbeat.

_Unfair. Unfair. It's so unfair. _

Her face was before his eyes. She was laughing. She was always laughing so much, why had he never seen it?

"Jeez," he mumbled after a while. "I'm thinking crap. As if I were her lover." Almost automatically. "It's not like she's anything to me …"

"_I had to shut you up somehow. And you looked so cute …"_

That moment … he would remember it …

"_Only I may call him cowboy, shithead!"_

Now nobody would call him cowboy, wasn't that an improvement?

"_That was because I thought you were – we were in danger."_

A crab scurried through the sand in front of him, and he stared at the tiny creature. "Yeah, right," he said to himself. "She's absolutely nothing to me, and I don't like her, and she's nothing but damn annoying. It's a good thing I finally got rid of her."

He paused for a moment. Then, slowly, he smiled. "I've always been a bad liar," he told the crab who sat there and seemed to look right back at him. "And to be honest, out loud it sounds even more ridiculous than in my head. I can't even believe it myself."

The crab blinked and moved its pincers.

Ace let out a long sigh and stared out at the sea. He could hear it again, its calming rushing as the waves hit the shore and got drawn back again.

_Who am I fooling?_ he asked himself. _Wasn't I always honest with myself?_

Yes, he had always been honest, even if it had been painful sometimes. When he had been too weak, he had scolded himself for it and tried to get stronger. When he had hurt somebody, he had told himself to apologise. When he had been an idiot, he had confronted himself with it.

So why hadn't he seen that whole time that he was being the biggest idiot on the whole Grand Line? Why had he allowed himself to lie, to lie at himself, when he had never been that kind of person at all?

All that time, those three years, he had remembered. He had told himself that it was normal, that you just had to remember your first time like that, and the person you had it with. He had told himself that if you imagined that person's face in random moments, let's say, when you were in bed with another person, it was just the way it should be, that it didn't mean anything at all. He had even told himself that thinking of that person so often that it became annoying was okay, that it was normal. Because you always remembered your first time.

When she had shown up he had suppressed his actual delight of seeing her again, and hidden it under a thick layer of annoyance and irony. When he had thought of showing her what he had learnt in the time of her absence, he had castigated himself for thinking bullshit, not willing to admit to it. And every time she made another advance on him, he had denied vigorously, saying she was just a pain in the ass and he'd never do that again, not with her.

Throughout their travels, he had somehow learnt to like her – which he had admitted to himself, but only recently, still understating it in front of himself. And that was only because he had almost had her dying in his arms – twice. No way he could deny that anymore.

Actually, this was the only lie that wasn't quite one. They had become friends somehow after all.

But the rest – the whole of his feelings, his self-reassurances, his analyses of himself – were all a blatant lie. And as it was, he seemed to be about the only one who hadn't noticed.

At that moment, he realised everything.

He realised why her attitude freaked him out. He realised why he didn't want to sleep with her. And he realised why he didn't want her to be around – while, at the same time, he _needed_ her to be.

It was because – let's face it – he was so deeply in love that it almost jumped him into his face, danced on his nose and screamed into his ears. He had been in love all that time, three years of not forgetting and two weeks of denying.

He hated how she acted, how she made him look weak, because he didn't want to look weak in front of her. He didn't want to sleep with her because he knew it was just the usual fun for her – and he didn't want it to be like this, just like usual. He wanted more. He wanted to be exceptional.

And it was painful to have to watch her little escapades, because it wasn't him she went to.

All the times he had wanted to leave and didn't do it because of some crap reasons – she could help him in some matters, he somehow felt some sympathy for her, she was useful to him – really, whom did he want to fool? He could have left a thousand times, if he had wanted. But, obviously, he hadn't.

He sighed.

"Who am I gonna fool?" he whispered, and the crab clicked its pincers twice before finally scurrying away.

He was in love … Because of this, he had wanted to impress her so badly, while at the same time trying to deny it. She was treating him like she had when they had first met. Like a boy. And he wanted to show her that he wasn't that boy anymore. That he had improved.

That he was a man now, and that she should see him as one.

And now she was gone, and what should he do?

"_Because you'd be terribly lost without me …"_

What could he say. He kinda was. After two weeks having her around him 24/7, annoying the hell out of him, he had really gotten rid of her – and now he didn't know what to do.

He remembered a conversation they had had when debating whether Scorpion had done the right thing or not.

"_You won't get full with just love!"_ he had said …

And her answer, _"Yes, but you'll miss it when it's gone."_

He only noticed now … how much truth was behind those words of hers.

* * *

_**Coming up: **_

Grunting, he heaved his body out of the bed, almost falling to the floor, and asked himself briefly why he had ended up like this – before he remembered. And felt even worse. – I'm making him suffer, I'm so sorry Ace …

But fate wasn't as hostile as he had thought. It came to reconcile with him in the form of a brown-haired boy. – Remember the boy? There's hope!

Ace was dumbstruck. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Instead, he started laughing like crazy. – See? Times will get better … ahem …


	34. Will You Kill?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

**Author's note:** I was fast, wasn't I? Especially since next chapter's gonna be 10 pages long and it was sooo hard to write ... but you'll see. For now, enjoy this one!

* * *

**Chapter 34: ****Will You Kill?**

After a while of silent thinking, Ace sighed and stood up. It had become cold, but of course he didn't mind. And even if he weren't a fire human, he wouldn't have minded. He was too concentrated on the current situation to mind anything except the fact that she was gone.

That crazy girl, that foolish girl. That stupid, impertinent, cheeky girl.

Now that she wasn't here anymore, he started to miss her. He felt it in his stomach and in his chest. There was a fluttering, and none of the enjoyable kind. It felt like the frayed fringes of a hole inside him.

Tired now, he dragged himself back to the second bar he had explored today, and slumped on a chair in a dark corner. Ordering three glasses of sake at once, he gulped them down immediately and requested new ones.

He repeated the action a few times, until his head dropped down onto the tabletop.

He didn't care.

He also didn't care when a dolled-up lady fawned on him, informing him in a husky voice that she was in the mood of doing something dirty and almost pressing her huge breasts out of her cleavage and into his face.

No, Ace didn't care. Instead, he ordered more sake. And, after being spared more than one day by his narcolepsy, it kicked in in the middle of his drinking orgy. Not that he remembered the day after, anyway.

How he got back into the hotel, he could not tell. All he knew was waking up in the room he had rented, with a major headache that felt like someone standing over him and maltreating his brain with an axe. At several points.

Grunting, he heaved his body out of the bed, almost falling to the floor, and asked himself briefly why he had ended up like this – before he remembered. And felt even worse. Which, in his state, was quite something.

He held his head while shuffling his feet over the cold floor towards the bathroom, where he splashed some water into his sleepy and still aching face.

"God, I look like shit," he muttered as he saw his face in the small mirror. He frowned but quickly gave it up again, since it sent nasty little needle twinges straight into his severely fogged-up brain.

"I'm not that kinda guy," he said to nobody in particular and closed his eyes. It was true – normally he wasn't the kind of guy who went all wasted over a girl. Normally he wasn't attached to anybody, with the exception of his little brother, Pops and his crew, and perhaps even the jii-chan. But not in that way, not like this.

Well, normally. What was normal, anyway?

He clenched his fist – and made a decision.

* * *

Yami yawned. She hadn't slept that whole night – not because she didn't trust the ship's crew (which she didn't, anyway) but because she didn't trust herself. Having a nightmare in this situation and screaming like a baby – she couldn't risk that.

She watched as the sun rose from behind the ocean, making it glitter and gleam in a wonderful red light. Like fire. Which reminded her …

What was he doing now? Surely, by now, he had discovered her leaving. How had he reacted? Had he been glad? Perhaps a bit. After what had happened … thinking of it still made her angry.

"Land ho!"

She turned towards the direction the watch was indicating, and grinned. Her eyes fixed on the little black spot in the distance, she prepared for what was to come.

* * *

"How long does the log pose need to set?"

"One day, exactly."

Ace exhaled angrily. "Does someone here have a set one I can trade with mine?"

The man in the booth at the harbour shrugged. "Don't think so, lad. Ya see, we all aren't that keen on leaving here."

"I see," Ace growled in frustration.

"Seems like ya have ta wait a bit more, lad."

"Seems so." He could have screamed. Fate was against him, once and for all. And just when he had set his mind on following her as fast as possible, to confront her about everything. There was just one route she could possibly take, and with his raft, he was way faster. "How long till Lilac Island, then?"

The man cocked his head in thinking. "Oh, about half a day, I guess."

Half a day. Meaning, he could make it in six hours. Meaning she had a lead of eighteen hours. And while he would always have to wait until his log pose was set, she could just hop onto the next ship and sail away again.

_This won't be easy_, he thought. _But I'll find you, Lady of the Shadows. I'll find you, and then you're in for one hell of a rant. _

Then there was the other problem, which was Blackbeard. How could one person possibly follow two individuals, who perhaps went different ways? _If she wants to shake me off, it's easy. She could just gather information about Teach, and go into the opposite direction. _

It definitely wasn't easy. Ace had thought it through, but hadn't come to a conclusion as to how to proceed in that case yet.

But fate wasn't as hostile as he had thought. It came to reconcile with him in the form of a brown-haired boy.

Just as he wanted to go somewhere for breakfast (since his stomach was busy doing somersaults), he heard someone calling his name.

"Portgas D. Ace? Hey, are you Portgas D. Ace?"

Surprised, he stopped and looked in the direction of the call. Said brown-haired boy, perhaps thirteen years old, was running at him.

"What if I am?" he answered as the boy came to a halt in front of him. What could that child possibly want from him?

"I've got a message," the boy panted. "From a pretty girl with red hair."

Ace froze. A message? From Yami? What the …? "What is it?" he snapped, and the boy flinched a bit.

"She says she's waiting for you, sir," he said, a bit shy now. "On Lilac. She wants to meet you there."

_What the hell? What the hell? What the hell?_

"You sure you're telling the truth?" Ace said slowly and suppressed the urge to grab the boy by the collar and give him a good shaking.

"Yes, sir!" the boy replied eagerly and took a coin out of his pocket. "She gave me this, sir."

A gold coin. No way the boy could be this rich. He had to be speaking the truth then, hadn't he?

"Fuck," Ace breathed, taking a hand up to cover his eyes.

"Sir?" the boy enquired hesitantly.

"It's okay," Ace said calmly. "Thanks, little one." In his head, everything went berserk. Consciously, he could only make out _What …?_, _How …?_, _When …?_ and a big fat _WHY?_ in the middle of the chaos that was his mind.

His heart was racing wildly in his chest, while at the same time jumping for joy – a rather dangerous mixture, being uncomfortable and pleasant at one go.

But one thing was for sure: This. Was definitely. One of the best things. He had ever. Ever. Ever. Heard.

And: _That bitch. That cruel little bitch. How dare she. How the fucking hell dare she! I was worried sick! I was …_

"Sir?" he was suddenly pulled out of his dark thoughts. As he raised his head, he saw the boy still standing in front of him, looking expectantly.

"What is it?" he asked weakly. He just wanted to be alone, to smash a wall or two. As replacement for her head which wasn't in his reach at the moment.

The boy cleared his throat. "Excuse me, sir, but the lady promised you'd give me the same for my troubles …"

Ace was dumbstruck. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Instead, he started laughing like crazy. Under the boy's bewildered gaze, he laughed as if he had heard the best joke of his whole life. He laughed because a thick knot had just dissipated from inside his chest, because he was relieved, because he was – happy.

_Isn't that just like her. _

* * *

When Yami set foot on Lilac island, the sun was already shining brightly from the sky. She knew she had only a few hours left, and she should use them to get some sleep. What she had to do surely wouldn't be easy.

But first she needed some money.

After having relieved some of the wealthier-looking people in the streets of their way too heavy wallets, she was able to rent a small hotel room again, since she didn't feel like sleeping in a barn at all. There was nothing over a nice little bed with a real mattress when you wanted to revive your spirits in the best way possible.

Unfortunately, she first had to check out her surroundings.

She was an easygoing person who always took things as they came, but this time she had to be prepared. No mistakes here.

The place she was looking for was at the edge of a forest. A fork in the path marked the right place, with one way leading into the woods and one only touching it but going along the forest edge.

Yami looked up and blinked as the sun blinded her.

"Half a day," she muttered to herself and stepped into the forest. It was thick and dark, ideal for her. Especially later this day shadows would be everywhere. "Perfect."

She continued inspecting the landscape, surrounding the forest and memorising everything. A small barn was standing next to the path, and as she looked inside, she found it empty. She didn't know whether it was helpful or not, but anyway.

When she finally went back to the village, she was rather nervous than tired. _How the heck should I sleep like this?_ she asked herself grumpily, but as she fell onto the bed she fell asleep almost instantly, but too shallow to be able to dream anything.

* * *

She awoke when sunrays covered her in gleaming gold. Sitting up, she wasn't disorientated in the slightest but knew exactly where she was and what she had to do. Getting out of the bed, she changed the white pair of trousers that Toshiro had given her and that she was still wearing for dark shorts, and her shirt for a tight tank top. She made her hair up into a ponytail, re-applied her lipstick for better luck and checked for her weapons.

Everything was in place. She inhaled deeply.

Half an hour later she was leaning against the signpost at the path fork. She appeared to be watching the sun go down, but in reality her senses were highly sharpened. Every little crackle, every swoosh was noticed.

Not that it had been necessary, though.

Fifteen minutes after she had arrived, she saw a person come down the path from the village, just as she had done. It was a tall man whose black mane was waving in the bit of wind that had come up in the meantime, along with his dark red cloak. _How dramatic_, Yami snorted inwardly.

When he came nearer she noticed his usual dress: casual, loose dark trousers and an equally loose white shirt under the cloak, which was fastened with a golden brooch. A golden bracelet peeked out of his right sleeve, and a scabbard hung around the left side of his hip.

She could also see the grin on his face.

"You came," he greeted her as he stopped some few steps away from her.

Yami raised her brows. "And you're late."

The man laughed. "Ah, don't be so strict with me. We said at sundown, didn't we? It's a rather elastic term."

"Whatever," Yami said. "Get serious. You want an answer. I have it."

"Aah," the man smiled and waved his hand. "Straight to the point. So unusual of you."

"What do you know about me?" she countered and folded her arms. "You know nothing."

"Do I?" The man continued to smile, which sent a shiver down her spine. "I know more than you think. At least I know that I have something that you want to have back, don't you?"

Yami pursed her lips in annoyance. She knew exactly that she shouldn't get so agitated, but she couldn't help it. That guy always made her feel as if he wasn't quite as he seemed. As if there was more to him. "Do you want your answer or not?" she asked firmly.

"Oh, I do want it. But judging by your behaviour I guess it's a No."

She snorted. "Whoa, how sharp you are."

His smile shrank to a small evil something. "Because I'm generous today, I'll give you another chance. I'll ask you again, _Lady of the Shadows_."

Yami flinched at the title.

"Will you kill Portgas D. Ace and become a member of my crew?"

* * *

_**Coming up:**_

"I'm sorry, but I think in that case I will have to kill you." – showdown …

"You can't hide from me," his voice reached her, only a second before the blow hit her. – poor Yami, I'm sorry …

"I'll kill you and then your little fiery friend!" Dai threatened through clenched teeth. – Really? (okay, if I ask like this, you probably know what happens …)


	35. Fight for Your Life

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 35: Fight for Your Life**

"_I'll ask you again, _Lady of the Shadows._"_

_Yami flinched at the title._

"_Will you kill Portgas D. Ace and become a member of my crew?"_

Yami exhaled slowly. Him knowing that, no matter from where, put her to a disadvantage. But she had known it all along, and she had no choice at all. He knew about her identity and her abilities, and it just couldn't be helped. Now she had to make sure he wouldn't leak it out. _At least he doesn't know my name_, she soothed herself.

"Like you assumed, Bright Flash Dai," she said slowly, "my answer is No, and it will stay No, no matter what."

The man raised his brows. "Oh? Haven't I told you not to fall in love with him? Are you his little slut now?"

She looked him right in the eyes, as replacement for the fist she wanted to smash into his face. "Would you believe me if I said No?" She laughed harshly. "But anyway, that's none of your concern. I said that I will neither kill him nor become a member of your crew, and that's it."

He casually observed his fingernails. "No chance? Remember, I've got your little secret. And I have something that you want …"

She huffed. "Over my dead body."

He let out a laugh. "That's definitely arrangeable." His eyes met hers, and there was an evil glimmer in them. "I'm sorry, but I think in that case I will have to kill you."

"As I assumed." Yami breathed slowly to calm herself. She wouldn't become upset because of his bullshit, she wouldn't. "You won't be able to tell anybody anyway, because I'll stop you here. And as for the thing you stole me … After I'm finished with you, I'll just take it back."

"Not likely," he smiled. "By the way, where is your little lover, anyway?"

She bored her eyes into his. "Like I'd tell you."

"Scared I'd finish him off after I'm finished with you?" he asked mockingly. "Because that's what I'll do, you see."

Yami wouldn't let herself get provoked by his taunts. "You won't," she replied calmly, "because you could never finish me off." Just be strong in the face of a tough opponent. Just claim to be. Believe in yourself. That's what she did, despite her nervousness.

He laughed again. "Stubborn as always," he said and reached into his pocket. Yami lunged backwards instantly. He grinned as he took out some kind of goggles, which he put on. "Jumpy, are we?"

Her heart beat like crazy. "No need to make yourself even uglier, Dai."

He calmly pressed some buttons at the side of the tool. "This, my little slut, is the greatest thing my dear mechanic has ever created."

"And what is it good for? Except for making you ugly, that is."

"You'll see, you'll see."

Yami watched him closely, narrowing her eyes as a light started to flash above the glass, ready to jump back. She couldn't take it anymore. It was a matter of seconds: let him do as he pleased and activate his crap which was most likely designed to harm her, however he wanted to do that, or be the first and have surprise on her side.

The decision wasn't that difficult. Just when he reached into his pocket again she made her move, disintegrating and appearing right in front of him – with her fist outstretched and crashing it right into him, sending him flying. He yelped in surprise as his back painfully got to know the hardness of a signpost.

A bit surprised now herself, Yami wasted no time and went after him. Her aim was to rip that stupid goggle-thingy off his face and demolish it in any way possible. Just when she materialised above him she was greeted by a right hook that went straight through her thanks to her shadow powers. However, she realised her mistake only when her right hand suddenly started to sting like it had been bitten by an enormous insect.

"Fuck!" she exclaimed and dissolved, swooshing under the trees. "Ouch! What the heck is that?" she cursed as she inspected her hand. On the back, a flat metal thing was sticking out like a kind of bullet. "You shot me, bastard?" she asked incredulously.

"Ah, not really," came the answer – from behind her and dangerously near her left ear.

_What the …!_

She jumped away and heard him laugh. "Ah, what a delightful invention."

"Fuck that shit!" Yami cursed and tried to tear the bullet out, which made a sharp pain race up her arm but didn't do much else. "Ouch!"

"Now, now! Don't try to get it off. It'll only hurt. Soon it'll fall off all by itself – when you are dead, that is," he chuckled.

"What is that?" she barked. "Poison?" Her hand ached like mad, sending an uncomfortable pulsating through her arm. _He'd be the kind of person for those tricks. _

"Hmm, yes, that would've been helpful," he mused to himself, and Yami almost sighed with relief. "However, these little things will help me kill you, believe it or not. Instead of poison, which would be fast but boring, they can do other things."

"What is this?" she hissed.

"Like I said," Dai grinned. "A hilariously suitable device for bringing down shadow sluts." With that said, he lunged forward – exactly in her direction. Yami cursed and dematerialised again, sliding deeper into the woods.

"You can't hide from me," his voice reached her, only a second before the blow hit her. And it really hit her this time.

"Gaaaah!" she exclaimed as she was sent flying. He was at her side immediately, and she only saw his knuckles covered with a strange colour before they made connection with her face painfully.

She screamed in pain. He used that moment to attach a second bullet to her other hand, and she was quick-witted enough to dematerialise again, merging with the shadows. "Fuck," she groaned and swooshed deeper and deeper into the forest.

"Gotcha," she heard him say from directly behind her, and startled.

_How does that bastard know where I am?_ she cursed. _Can he kinda see me? Perhaps it has something to do with those goggles of his?_

"Stop running away," he purred. "I'll get you anyway, and then I'll use you as bait for Portgas. He'll be devastated when he finds the dead body of his little lover bitch …"

Yami stopped mid-air, on a branch. Of course he didn't see it coming, and so he couldn't evade the kick directed towards his head. His monstrous speed, however, let him at least turn his head so as not to take the kick face-first. He wasn't called Bright Flash for nothing – he had once eaten a Devil Fruit too, which allowed him to move at great speed. She had known that – her trump card had been her shadow powers. Which he didn't only knew but also seemed to be able to avoid.

_I need a plan, and fast_, she thought.

He grabbed her leg which she had just used for demolishing his face – she had aimed for the glasses, but due to his speed they had gotten away unharmed –, and twisted it around with the kairoseki-decorated glove always touching her bare skin. He threw her into a tree full force, and she could avoid smashing into it only barely. Instead, she pushed herself off the tree trunk, catapulting herself into Dai with her fist outstretched.

Once again he could evade her hit into his face. This time she came to hit his shoulder, which must have hurt, but he wasted no time either. Quickly grabbing her by the throat he held her up as he sat on a branch, leaving her dangling mid-air.

"Bas…tard!" she moaned, trying to get his hand off her.

"My, my," Dai grinned. "No need to be so rude." His face came closer. "I've got a special present for you, shadow bitch," he murmured mystifyingly. She could feel his sour breath on her face, and grimaced in disgust. He took one hand up to his goggles, and pressed a button.

The effect came immediately.

"KYAAAAAAAAAA!" Yami screamed as she felt indescribable pain in her hands and arms. They jerked and twitched wildly and uncontrolledly, and she thought she'd be burned alive.

"Relax. I'm just electrizing you." She saw him smirk. Then he let go of her, and she fell. She hadn't even time to scream, and as she hit the ground, the air was punched out of her lungs. It felt as if her bones had just been shaken violently.

She gasped for air, at the same time checking for any particularly strong pain. As it looked, nothing was broken. She had been lucky, falling from this height.

But she didn't have much time to ponder about things. Dai was over her one moment later, grinning as if he'd already won. Yami wasted no time. She might be a rookie on Grand Line, but she wasn't helpless and inexperienced. Grabbing the daggers from their sheaths to the sides of her thighs, she was prepared when he came down to deliver a punch to her stomach. However, thanks to his damn speed, he saw it early enough to stop shortly before his hands would have been pierced by the steel.

With a curse he drew back, giving Yami enough time to jump to her feet, not caring about the mushiness of her legs. _Focus, focus!_ she encouraged herself and watched her opponent with narrowed eyes.

Dai sighed. "Really, can't you just go down like a good girl?"

She twisted her mouth into a smug grin. "I've never been a good girl." She let her daggers circle around her forefingers before catching them again, a move that was meant to show off above everything else. She was fine with that. You have to make your opponent think that you're better than him no matter what. Looked at in that light, perhaps cowboy's show-offy attitude and his ability (which was just one big show, really) could definitely be quite helpful.

He smirked. "Bad girls go to hell."

"I'm fine with that," she said, shrugging. "Then we'll meet again when I'll finally die of old age."

Dai laughed. "Hilarious! How you can stay so sarcastic even when you just have to know you can't stand a chance!"

"Not at all," she said – and charged. Bolting towards him, she used her shadow powers to propel her speed, and crashed into him who could barely avoid one dagger – but not both.

"Tchhhh!" he hissed as she got his right arm. The sound made her grin stupidly – before she went to the ground with a cry.

"GAAAAAAAH!"

"That's what you get if you mess with me, shadow bitch!" Dai spat and watched as electricity raced through her arms. Taking a few steps, he lunged out with his leg and kicked her in the stomach as hard as he could, making her cry out again.

But she wasn't helpless. Ignoring the pain as best as she could and grasping the daggers that had fallen from her grip she rolled away from him, transforming in the process. As she materialised again, he was already behind her.

"I already told you – you can't get away from me!" he exclaimed, punching her into the face. Yami tried to avoid the hit but didn't manage to. Instead of her nose her cheek received the blow, which hurt enough, but she was able to act nonetheless. Striking out with her daggers, she felt them both hit the target. The scream that came from his mouth satisfied her more than anything else, but she didn't have time to rest. Somersaulting backwards, she used a tree trunk as take-off board, shooting herself towards him. And this time she was aiming for his face.

But as it is really hard to hit someone who can move in the blink of an eye, he stepped aside.

"Fuck!" she yelled mid-air and only barely avoided hitting the ground. Rolling herself over, she came to a halt by clawing the ground with her hands and feet.

He was standing several metres away, looking angry and amused at the same time. His right arm was bleeding intensely, and there was blood at his shoulder also. "Now. Let's get serious," he said, unsheathing a middle-sized sword now himself and unfastening his cloak, which fell to the ground.

"I was waiting for you to do that," she stated, wiping the sweat off her brow.

He charged all of a sudden, but she was prepared. Catching his sword with her two daggers crossed, it was a matter of pure force. They glared at each other while trying to break each other's defence.

"I'll kill you and then your little fiery friend!" Dai threatened through clenched teeth.

"You won't get to that!" Yami shot back.

"Do you know how easy it is to kill a person?" he grinned. "How easy to lie in wait for them until they're sleeping … his throat will be cut before he even wakes up!"

"I won't let you!" Yami screamed and put all her force into subduing him. Dai hissed as he saw his chance float away. He jumped back a little, almost making her topple over in surprise, and pressed his favourite button.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" she yelled as electric power made her arms jerk and twitch with a pain she couldn't bear, the daggers falling from her hands. Nevertheless, she now knew what was going on, and was quick-thinking enough to jump away before he could hit her. His sword cut the air where she had stood only a split-second ago.

Panting heavily, she looked at him from the branch of a tree. She reached down and took her kairoseki dagger from its hidden sheath in her boot.

She had to be serious with this. She had never thought it to be this difficult. Surely, he was a dangerous pirate, too, but she had always trusted in her powers to be superior. With his speed she could deal – but his constantly electrizing her was a problem she hadn't expected.

However, she had no choice. She wouldn't let him get her – and she wouldn't let him get Ace. Not that she didn't believe in the fire user being clearly superior in comparison to Dai – but the problem was that he didn't even know he was targeted. And Dai was the kind of person to use that to his advantage, which made attacking him in his sleep an alarming possibility. And she would rather die than let that happen.

Unluckily, her death was also in the game as an alarming possibility. Not that that hadn't been the case earlier. Strangely calm, Yami focused. And the moment he looked up at her, she threw the dagger.

For a second there she had thought she'd hit him. But it was only his hand that was bleeding – he had caught it mid-air and was now triumphantly holding it up for her to see. "Lookie here what I found, shadow bitch!"

"Bastard!" she growled. Her heart started beating even faster. Now she was in a pinch. But she knew what she could do.

Gathering shadows, she squeezed them together and made them gather before his eyes so that he was blinded for the moment.

"What the …!"

She used that moment to rush down and try to get her dagger back. What she hadn't expected, however, was his movement. Only one quick step aside – which, in Dai's case, meant a _quick_ step –, and he got rid of the shadows which she couldn't move with him that fast.

She could only stare with wide eyes as she raced straight into her own weapon. She tried to evade, but …

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Her scream pierced through the air as the dagger pierced through _her_.

"Gotcha this time," he breathed into her ear. She stared at her chest in shock, where a dark red stain spread out rapidly.

_That … that's it?_

He stepped back, and she fell to the ground, watching incredulously as drips of blood trickled down and sprinkled the forest soil with dark red. She breathed in once, twice … her heart was still beating. _I'm not dead yet?_ she wondered, and looked at the weapon stuck inside her.

It was embedded in her left shoulder. Only a few inches away from her heart, she had probably managed to turn just as slightly as was needed for the blow not to be fatal. _Fuck … fuck, I'm … still alive … _

The pain was killing her, but she was still alive.

Then she was grabbed by the hair, and yanked up. "Gaaaah!"

Dai's face was before her eyes. "I told you I'd finish you off," he growled. "And that's what I'll do now." His hand went to her throat. With her own hands dangling uselessly and her own kairoseki dagger in her shoulder, she could only watch helplessly. Her feet were still touching the ground, and her eyes fell on the darkening shadows to their feet. His and hers, merging to one bulky figure.

She didn't want to die like this.

As her breathing air was deterred from getting in or out, she struggled. She grabbed his shadow, trying to separate it from hers or do anything to stop this from happening. She didn't want to die with Dai's ugly face in front of her, and their shadows entwined.

In fact, she didn't want to die at all.

She had once heard of a shichibukai who could cut a person's shadow to make them his. Now she wished she could do that too. She just wanted to take that shadow and pull, pull, pull until it ripped off …

That was the moment when the world turned. Everything went black. _Am I dead now?_ Yami wondered, but she could feel her heart beating still. A strange force tugged at her body, taking her with it straight into the blackness.

And spat her out so suddenly that her knees went weak and she fell to the floor.

She looked around with wide eyes. Darkness, only darkness around her. She heard a gasp and her head whipped around. Dai landed a few metres away from her, and at least just as ungentle as she.

"What is this!" he yelled and looked around with his brow in a frown.

_Good question_, Yami thought perplexedly. But she immediately knew that she liked it here. The darkness all around them made her feel strangely comfortable, as if she had come home after a long, long journey.

"Where the fuck are we!" Dai yelled. He had stood up and was now making a few steps in her direction.

"Shut up!" Yami snapped at him, and strangely enough, he obeyed instantly. She stood up herself and looked around. As far as she could see, there was only darkness. She had to fuse with the shadows to get a feeling for her surroundings, which she wouldn't do as long as Dai was around. At the moment, all she was able to see was the earthy ground, like they were still in the forest. She wanted to bend down to touch it, but Dai grabbed her arm. "Heck, stop it!" she yelled and tore her arm away from his grip. The man stood still, his arm still raised and a panicking expression on his face.

"Nani?" Yami asked and stared at him. "What's up with you? It's not that scary here, is it?"

No answer. Just his widened eyes. It was creepy. "Answer me!" Yami hissed impatiently. "What's up with you, dumbass?"

"I can't speak!" he spat immediately, and hesitated.

"But you just did, baka," Yami reasoned. She cocked her head and eyed him suspiciously.

"I couldn't just seconds ago!" he yelled.

"Stop yelling at me. I know you just wanted to kill me, but now we're here and I assume we have to work together," she said calmly.

"But I don't want to be here," Dai said, equally calm now. "I can't yell anymore."

"What?" Yami asked and gave him a puzzled look.

"I can't yell, shadow bitch. I want to, but I can't."

"Nani?" Yami asked and scratched her head. Her hands were still hurting from the bullets and the permanent electrifying, and she looked at the tiny pieces of metal in disgust. "When are those things gonna fall off?"

"As if I'd tell you," Dai said scornfully.

Yami gasped as she realised something. As far as she could believe him, he had done anything she had said, hadn't he? She had told him to shut up, and he hadn't been able to speak anymore. She had told him to stop, and that had been what he had done. She had told him to not yell at her, and he couldn't yell anymore.

"Tell me," she said, curious whether it was really as she had just figured out.

"They last for one hour," Dai said and slapped his hands onto his mouth. "Fuck! What the hell!"

Yami took a deep breath – and smiled maliciously. Testing, she took her hands up and eyed the bullets. "Vanish."

They vanished.

"Oh my God," she whispered.

"What's going on here?" Dai demanded to know, and she gave him the sweetest smile she could muster.

"Shut up," she said, and his mouth snapped shut. "God, how I'm enjoying this," she mumbled. Ignoring his fearful look, she glanced at her shoulder wound. "Heal."

She could practically watch as the flesh grew together again, leaving only a bloody stain on her shirt. "I love this!" she yelled happily. "I don't know what this is, but I love it!" She turned on her heel and breathed in deeply, as if she was marvelling at the wonderful weather. Then, she turned to Dai once again. She could see pure fear in his eyes, and despite not being a malicious person, she had to say she was really enjoying it. He had wanted to kill her after all. And above all, he had said he'd kill Ace in his sleep, and how lousy was that.

"You know, I could say anything now," she said calmly and saw him retreat. Following him slowly, she smiled. "If, just if I said something now like, for example, for you to go to hell, what would happen?"

He gasped soundlessly.

"Oh, don't worry, I won't do that. You just have to promise me something, okay?"

He nodded hurriedly, and Yami couldn't prevent herself from laughing. It looked almost comically. "Promise me never to touch me again. Never to try to kill me again. Not to tell anybody about my identity. And to stop going after cow- … after Ace."

"I promise never to touch you again, never to try to kill you again, not to tell anybody about your identity, and to stop going after cow- … after Ace," he repeated mechanically, and Yami sighed.

"That doesn't work," she muttered, and thought about how to reformulate it to get him to say it of his own free will, and not because he was forced to. "You've heard it. I want to … no, you have to … ah fuck." She sighed again. "You … could say it … again, on your own. Get what I'm saying? And just for the record, why are you so obsessed with killing cow- … I mean, Ace?"

"He inflicted severe damage to my crew and ship with his cursed Spades Pirates," Dai growled.

Yami frowned. "And therefore you want to kill him? You're a pirate yourself, how many crews and ships have you destroyed so far? That crew doesn't even exist anymore." She shook her head. "Anyway. Can you promise me what I just said."

Finally he nodded, resigning. "I'll stop going after you and Portgas, and I won't tell anyone about you. But please let me go!" he begged her.

Yami hmph-ed. "Yeah, make sure to keep your promise or you know where you'll be ending up. But first I have to figure it out how I can get out myself," she said. She looked up into the darkness and shouted, "I want to get out!"

Nothing happened. Yami groaned. "I want outta here, and pronto!"

Nothing.

"Get me outta here?" she tried – and knew she was successful when she felt an invisible force tear at her body. _Bye, Bright Flash Dai_, she thought – and only seconds later, she was lying slumped on the forest floor.

Jumping to her feet, she flinched in pain. "Aaaaaouch!" she groaned and her hand went up to cover the wound at her left shoulder. Her hands were aching again, and just as she was asking herself whether it all hadn't just been a strange dream made of asphyxiation, she saw Dai lying in front of her – out cold.

She cocked her head, then went down to check for his pulse – carefully, since he could just wake up and attack her. As far as she could tell, he still had a pulse, and was breathing too. She wanted to stand up when she remembered something and started rummaging around in his pockets. And there, attached to a small chain that was, in turn, attached to his trousers, she found what she had sought for.

A ring lay in her hand, silver and rather bulky, with a big dark red stone in it. Happily she closed her hand around it and put it into her own pocket. Then, as she noticed the pain once again, she sighed. _I think I've gotta see a doctor quickly … _she thought. _But first I've gotta make sure that bastard won't do anyone harm for now. _

She didn't know how long he'd be unconscious, so she dragged his lifeless body towards the barn that was standing a bit further away. She felt herself getting weaker, and despite having fixed her wound provisorily with some stripes of Dai's cloak she could feel it still bleeding. She needed all her strength to drag Dai's body inside the barn and fasten it to a post in there with everything she could find.

With that done, she sank to the ground, exhausted to no end. She looked up to where Dai's black hair falling down around his face, still with those goggles, and his upright position made him seem like an odd, impaled corpse, and closed her eyes.

She had done it. She had succeeded, and she hadn't died. She had done it.

Now everything she had to do was picking herself up and going to look for a doctor.

When the little silver bullets got loose and fell to the floor with a soft _ping_, she laughed.

_I did it. _

* * *

**Author's note:** Sorry to all of you who expected Ace to save her, but I'm not that fond of that situation. It's annoying me enough already when it's happening in Bleach – or One Piece, for that matter, but Bleach is worse. You can count the number of fights that have been finished by women on one hand, and I totally hate it. So sorry if you expected any of this to happen. I know this chapter wasn't that romantic at all, but perhaps it'll satisfy those of you who shouted for a fight. BTW, Ace's not even departed, so it would've been a matter of impossibleness. Hope you don't mind that much, and hope you enjoyed either way. Next chapter will be more sentimental and stuff =)

_**Coming up:**_

He closed his eyes and sighed stoically. Really, that girl was robbing him of his sanity. – And she's not even there yet …

"Don't you 'hey cowboy' me, brat," he growled and gave her an indignant glare. – Happy reunion! Yay! … ahem, not quite.

"It was half a year ago. I was searching a crew to join because it's boring being all alone for long, and he offered me to accept me as a member of his, since he was the captain." – Yami's story, or at least a part of it …


	36. Partners

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece.

**Author's note:** I wrote as fast as I could to keep my promise. Dear **Yasa-chan**, I hope you'll enjoy this and get better fast.

* * *

**Chapter 36: Partners**

Yami sighed as she stepped out of the healer's house into the chilly night. Her treatment had taken longer than she had expected – heck, finding a damn healer at this hour had taken _ages_ – and she hadn't gotten away without several stitches and bandages. And a pitch-black eye, by the way, but of course not from the healer but Dai, the bastard.

The wound at her shoulder had made the old woman cry out loud, but of course she hadn't answered to her inquiries as to where she had it from. "Just fought with a pirate who wanted me to kill somebody since I'm the Lady of the Shadows" – ha, ha.

As a result, the majority of her upper body was wrapped in layers of white bandaging material like a Christmas present – that thought made her grin as she remembered cowboy and how he might react, should she tell him exactly that.

But no, she wouldn't show him, and she wouldn't tell him. He wasn't supposed to know such things. Dai wouldn't come after them (or so she hoped), and the thing had been over before he could ever notice it. She just didn't want him to know. As to the excuse for her little escapade, she'd simply say he had annoyed her and she had been so angry that she had just decided to spend the next day without him.

It wasn't even a lie - she had been angry, after all. The only thing she hadn't done because of her anger was writing a letter that explained where she was, and why (she would've just imagined another reason in that case).

Now, after having grabbed something to eat at a meat stall, she was on her way to the little barn where she had left Dai. To be honest, she was a bit scared. She didn't know whether he was still there or in that strange … universe-thingy where she had last seen him.

For all she knew, he could've long since freed himself, hiding somewhere and waiting for her to arrive. That was why she flinched at every noise she heard, and cursed at the crickets for chirping so damn loud.

When she found his body as she had left it, she was relieved, to say the least. But it was incredibly creepy, and she still didn't know how long this condition would last – or how to undo it, for that matter. She left as soon as she was assured that he wasn't 'back' yet.

After covering the huge bruise on her cheek with lots of make-up and re-applying the obligatory lipstick, she went to the harbour that was quite deserted at this hour, and spotting a long wooden pier, sat down at the end. Drawing her black cloak, which she had taken on her way here, around her shoulders with the one arm that didn't hurt at every movement, she took a long breath.

And waited for the flame at the horizon.

* * *

Ace crossed his arms in front of his chest. He was already giving it his all, plus he had set the sails of his raft, but he couldn't possibly go any faster. He couldn't do anything against his desire to arrive at Lilac Island as soon as possible – it just came.

He had to make sure that all this wasn't just a bad joke. Because after all his wasted-ness over her departure, after all his worrying and stuff, he had a hard time believing that she was really waiting for him. That he hadn't lost her for good, as he had thought just twenty-four hours ago.

At the same time, he scolded himself for his disgusting patheticness. He just wasn't the type of guy who did stuff like this – but there was no denying that he was doing that stuff right now. Perhaps he should change his self-perception, because that stuff was happening more often lastly.

He closed his eyes and sighed stoically. Really, that girl was robbing him of his sanity.

As he couldn't see a thing in this pitch-black darkness and his fire only illuminated the area around him, he was relying solely on the log pose. Thus, he was a bit relieved at seeing lights in the distance – and his assumption was proved correct when he perceived the whole island.

He could feel his heartbeat in his throat – _calm down, baka! What are you, stupid?_ – as his raft drew closer towards the small piece of land, powered by himself and going faster with every passing second.

He saw the lone figure sitting on the pier when he wasn't even one hundred metres away, and his nervousness became almost too high to bear.

His raft stopped as he let the fire die out, only a few metres in front of the pier. His eyes sought her face, and even in the darkness, he could tell that she was smiling.

Without saying a word, he took the rope of his raft and threw it for her to catch, which she did with one hand. Hopping onto the pier then, after having grabbed his rucksack, he was finally standing right before her.

Her smile, her whole expression seemed mysterious in the diffused lighting, and he was tempted to ignite just a small flame – which he didn't do. He cursed his heart for beating so annoyingly fast.

"Hey cowboy," she said calmly, still smiling up at him.

A fight erupted within Ace's mind. One part of him wanted to slap her into the face, and it was further incited by her casual greeting, which made him incredibly aggressive. Another part wanted to take her into his arms and not let her go ever again – an urge he wanted to fight just because. And yet another part of him just wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her so hard that her bones would be dancing jive inside her body.

However, in the end he did none of those.

"Don't you 'hey cowboy' me, brat," he growled and gave her an indignant glare. Walking past her, he flicked over his shoulder, "And could you moor the raft. I'm hungry."

He heard a giggle from behind, which made him huff. He walked slowly until the end of the pier, giving her enough time to fasten the rope. When she didn't catch up with him, however, he turned, ready to grouse at her – only to find her kneeling on the wooden planks, bent over the edge, and fiddling around with the rope, trying to tie it into a knot with just her right hand while her left remained under her cloak.

"What are you doing?" he asked bewilderedly.

"Uh, I'd rather you'd give me a hand," she said, turning her head half in his direction.

"If this is one of your tricks I'll –" he started to grumble but held it when he noticed her strained face. Returning to the end of the pier, he knelt down next to her, grabbing the rope out of her hands and tying it into a proper knot in no time. "There," he muttered. "Now what's so difficult about it?" He stood up and, after one second of consideration, held his hand out for her to take. Which she did, surprisingly enough.

More surprising, however, was the flashing of white under her cloak which he could see even in the dark, and which looked suspiciously like …

He took the front of her cloak and pulled it aside before she could protest, revealing bandages, bandages, and even more bandages. "What the …!" he exclaimed incredulously.

Immediately overcoming her surprise, Yami tugged the cloth out of his hand and closed her cloak, an expression in-between a frown and uneasiness upon her face. And, at a closer look, wasn't that one hell of a bruise on her cheek?

"What the hell happened to you?" he asked vehemently and tried to get the cloak open again, which she refused by holding it tightly.

"Ehe, ahm, would you believe me if I said I tripped?" she asked with a laugh he knew was faked, and gave him a grin. "I, uh, tripped. Really hard." Then, without looking him in the eyes, she pushed her way past him.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" he hissed, holding her back with one hand grabbing her shoulder, which made her flinch and cry out faintly.

"It's true!" she tried to convince him, shoving his hand off. "I tripped, stumbled, and fell down a whole staircase!"

He was stunned. By the way she blatantly tried to lie her way out of this. Which made him even more curious, of course. "Yeeeaaah. And that staircase was just accidentally riddled with razor blades." Going after her, who had started to speed up her pace, he snorted. "Stop fucking around and tell me what's happened. Oh, and by the way, you could also tell me what made you jump onto a ship and go for this island yesterday."

"I was angry at you," was her only answer.

Under normal circumstances, he would've believed it. But now that his suspicions were awakened, he didn't. "Yeah, tell that to somebody who's actually believing your crap."

She stopped and whirled around. "And if I just don't want to tell you?" He could see that she was getting angry now herself, but he couldn't care less. Catching up to her in two large steps, he planted himself in front of her.

"How do you see this relationship?" he asked, more calm now, and indicated at her and him. The surprise in her eyes gave him a certain satisfaction. "Do you think you can just do what you want? Because then I won't play along with you anymore. You insisted on following me even though I didn't agree, which was annoying. But just when I started to get used to it you decided to show me how independent you are. Well, fine by me. But next time you pull such a thing, I'll quit, and that's it with the two of us."

"Are you trying to break up with me, cowboy?" she asked in feigned playfulness, but he could see the uncertainty in her eyes. It was written all over her face.

"Take this seriously," he said insistently and took her by the shoulders as gently as he could. "Because I do. But it'll only work if we're having the same attitude towards it. We can't run around on the Grand Line without ever relying on each other, got it? We can either be travelling together, or not. But do it properly, either way."

When she just frowned up at him, he bored his eyes into hers. "We're partners, aren't we?"

Her mouth formed a cute little 'o' at his words, and her militant façade faltered. "Partners?" she repeated quietly.

Ace shrugged. "Well, at least, that's what I think." He observed her for a moment. "Don't you?"

He could hear his own heartbeat at the moment she needed to answer. He hadn't planned his little speech, surely not, but the words had sprung from his mouth like water from a well. And he really meant them. If she wouldn't change her stubborn attitude, she'd be rid of him faster than she could say 'nani?'. It didn't matter that he had fallen in love with her, because like this, she would hurt him more than he would by leaving. Moreover, if he left, the pain would subside one day and he would be free again, without having to ask himself constantly why he was acting so un-Ace-like around her, without being … bound up with her.

Nevertheless, he was glad as she took a deep breath and said, "O…kay. Partners, then."

"And no more ego trips?" he demanded vehemently.

"No more ego trips," she confirmed, giving him a little smile.

"Fine then," he said coolly, when in reality he wanted to sigh with relief. "So, will you now tell me what's with this?" He tugged her cloak open again and indicated at the bandages all around her upper body.

"If I have to …" she sighed.

"You have to," he said firmly and nodded. "And no more lies. But first let's go eat something. Are there any bars open at this time?"

She grinned and grabbed his wrist, leading him off into a nearby street. "I knew you'd ask that. By pure chance I've come across a certain bar where you can get warm meals all around the clock …"

"By pure chance. Of course," he snorted but couldn't help grinning himself. "I'm generous today, so it's my treat."

She gave him an amused glance. "Oh? So it's a date?"

He rolled his eyes in response. "Are you an idiot?"

"Cowboy's taking me on a date! Yay!" she squealed, completely ignoring him.

"Shut up or I'll regret almost having missed you," he growled but was soon enough betrayed by his own treacherous grin. This was familiar ground, this was how it should be, how it had always been. Heart-warmingly annoying.

"You missed me? Awww!" she cooed.

Yup, heart-warmingly annoying … with extra stress on 'annoying'.

* * *

The bar Yami had found was near the harbour, which was one of the criteria it had to fulfil in order to put her at ease. She had developed a certain paranoia since the fight, whirling around at every noise just to find that it was either the wind, a leaf, or an animal – but certainly not Dai. If it were up to her she'd just jumped onto the raft and told him to get away from here, but that would've involved too much explaining.

Explaining which, ironically, she would have to do now.

"Can you promise me something?" she spoke as they had reached the bar.

"What?" Ace asked, curiously raising his brows.

"That we'll get away from here as soon as we're finished eating."

His bewildered gaze already told her all she had to know. It would be a whole damn lot of explaining …

"Why?"

"Because it's not safe here," she said and opened the door. Cigarette-soaked air and gloomy lights greeted them – _just perfect for the occasion_, Yami thought sarcastically.

"Would you mind explaining?" Ace asked her when they had taken their seats opposite each other, and the patron had taken their orders.

"Yeah, well," Yami started, scratching her head with the healthy hand. "There's some guy here I'd rather not meet again. I've detained him for the moment, but I don't know how long that'll last."

"Once again and from the beginning, please," Ace requested, raising his brows. She could tell that his patience was pretty much worn off. In fact, he had arrived here one hour earlier than she had expected. If he had put such a strain on himself, it was hardly surprising that he was exhausted now, at least a bit.

Yami tiredly rubbed her face with her right hand. She really didn't know where to begin. Well, she could begin with _that day_, but she surely wouldn't, not here and not now. Or she could begin with the double loss of her crew and Kujo, but she wouldn't do that either. So how could she make a long story short without either revealing too much and irritating him, thus giving him the feeling that she didn't quite tell him everything? She really liked having a partner, more than she'd admit. When he had said it she had been so astonished that she almost had had to pick her jaw off the floor. But she liked it, she really did. She should try to take him seriously, as a partner.

"Okay, okay," she muttered, closing her eyes. "It was half a year ago. I was searching a crew to join because it's boring being all alone for long, and he offered me to accept me as a member of his, since he was the captain. They were quite successful as pirates, which was what tempted silly me. I was happy at first, since they seemed nice. They included me despite being a newbie, gave me parts of the loot, laughed with me, and so on. I was really happy. I almost wanted to show them my powers, which I don't do very often." She smiled sadly at the memory. "However, that happiness didn't last long. He found out about my powers himself as I was being careless for one moment there, and also found out that I don't want it to be known. Therefore, he blackmailed me …" She interrupted herself as the patron came and brought their meals.

"He blackmailed you," Ace reminded her when the man had vanished into the kitchen, while at the same time impaling a piece of meat with his fork.

Yami nodded, taking a sip of her sake. "He blackmailed me … into killing somebody. Or at least, that's what he wanted." She paused, thinking about how to make it clear to him without riling him up, if that was possible at all.

"Oh? And, did you do it?" he asked curiously mid-chew.

"Well, you tell me," she said slowly, eyeing him tensely.

"Hm? How should I … know …" He trailed off slowly as it dawned on him. His eyes went wide in realisation, and he pointed his fork at himself. "Don't tell me …"

Yami shrugged uneasily. "Yup. It's you."

"What the …!" Ace exclaimed, jumping to his feet so suddenly that he almost knocked down the table as well as his chair.

"Calm down," Yami hastened to say as she caught several stares from people around them. "I never really considered it, you know."

"I can't believe it!" he shouted incredulously, staring at her. "All this time you were just after my head?"

"Didn't you listen? I said I never really considered it, and would you please sit down, you're drawing attention!" she hissed. "Do you want to hear the story or not?"

Ace hmph-ed. "As if you could kill me off, brat," he muttered but finally sat down again, his arms crossed in front of his broad chest, glaring indignantly. "I'm waiting for an explanation," he growled.

"Don't play the sorehead, cowboy. He forced me, and I searched for you to uphold the impression that I'd be willing to accomplish his task. I had to, or else he'd leak it out and everything would be over."

"Sorehead? What'd you say if _I_'d get the job of killing _you_, huh?" he muttered on but seemed a bit more appeased now.

"Yeah, whatever," Yami waved it off. "He told me to kill you, and I followed you for him to think I'd be considering it, which I never did. I knew you after all, right? And he didn't know that."

"Yeah," Ace mumbled, still pouting slightly.

"So I appointed a meeting with him to tell him my final answer, and well, that's all there is to it," she concluded, shrugging again. "We met today, I told him No, then he wanted to kill me and that's it."

Ace stared at her with his mouth gaping. "Kill you? I thought he wanted you for his crew!"

"Yeah, he's quite the bastard. What he doesn't get, nobody else should. I didn't kill him, however. He's in a barn outside the village and somehow … absent, but I don't know how long that'll last, so I want to get away from here as soon as possible. Do you understand now?" she asked and gave him an intent gaze.

"Why didn't you run away? Or wait for me? Or, for that matter, take me with you, damn it!"

Yami sunk back on her chair. She was so tired that she could have slept right now, but that would probably only make him angrier. "I thought I could just finish him off easily, then collect you again, and I wouldn't have to tell you all this."

"But why not?" he insisted. "Why do all this on your own, when I could've helped you?"

Yami's flat hand hit the tabletop, and she almost had him flinching there. Leaning forward, she bored her eyes into his. "Because that's who I am, because I always do everything on my own, because I'm independent, because I thought I could do it all alone. Which I could, mind you. I'm here, after all." She paused for a moment, before quietly adding, "And because he was after you too, and he's the kind of bastard who strangles people in their sleep, and that I didn't want to risk." In a way, she had been fighting for him, too. It was only a bit embarrassing to admit now …

Ace frowned. He opened his mouth to reply, but seemed to change his mind. Instead, he sighed. "Jeez," he muttered. "Just don't do things like that anymore, okay? You actually had me worried."

Yami's strained expression slowly changed into a soft smile. "I'm sorry."

"You'd better be," he said earnestly, and she had to avert her eyes so as not to follow that sudden, weird and creepy urge of feelings and start to cry right there.

After a short pause, Ace cleared his throat. "What did he do to you that requires so many bandages?" he asked, trying to sound casual. "And your face doesn't look well either."

Yami's hand jerked to her injury, and she laughed uneasily. "Ah, well … that was actually my own dagger."

His brows flew upwards. "Don't tell me."

"Yeah … he caught it and stabbed me with my own dagger. Somehow it's pathetic."

"Damn right it is."

"Shut up, baka cowboy," she said, but the happy grin on her face belied her words.

* * *

_**Coming up: **_

"Why you …!" he shouted but soon landed on his hands and knees, weakened by the seawater. – New joke: two Devil Fruit users playing with water …

_Damn, he knows me_, Yami thought and pouted. _When did he learn that?_ – Yup yup! Ace is definitely able to learn.

"Cowboy, are you okay?" She looked at him worriedly, and at first he didn't react. His head was bent down, and when he lifted it slowly, he was staring at her hand on his arm as if he had never seen such a thing. – I was looking forward to writing this for so long already. I hope, no, I _know_ you'll enjoy this …


	37. Blind Desire

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 37: Blind Desire**

After they had finished eating, like Ace had promised, they took their departure from Lilac Island. Yami was a walking wreck by then, held upright solely by the prospect of getting away very soon.

She hadn't told Ace about what had happened when she had almost been killed, but mostly because she simply had forgotten in her tiredness. And she wasn't in a better mood now as she stumbled more than walked through the nightly town on their way to the raft.

Ace was mostly silent, and just this once she actually enjoyed it. He seemed to be thinking – well, duh. No easy stuff she had beaten him round the head with. He had taken it relatively calm in her opinion. If he had revealed to her that he had been set out to kill her, she would've punched him just because.

"Please don't tie me to the mast," she mumbled sleepily as they approached the pier where the little vehicle was moored. "I'll fall in."

"Yeah, just promise you won't stab me in my sleep," he replied dryly.

"Promise."

* * *

Ace let out a long sigh as he slowed down the raft, looking behind. Of course there was nothing but impenetrable darkness. They had left Lilac Island approximately one hour ago, and he had ensured that they get away as fast as possible. Which took its toll on him, sooner or later. So for now, he had to decelerate so as not to get too exhausted.

He looked down at the bundle on his lap. She had been fast asleep as soon as they had taken a comfortable position, and he took it as a strange compliment. Since she had really wanted to get away that much, and had seemed almost scared about it, he probably should feel flattered – since it meant nothing other than that she was at ease with him, and felt protected when he was with her.

But of course she would never admit something like that (yeah, she was independent and all, which automatically excluded any wish for protection), and perhaps it was only his fantasy and a few melatonin hormones too much for her, but he quite liked his own version of the story.

Also, on close contemplation, her explanation from before made him a bit too happy, somehow. _"Because he was after you too, and he's the kind of bastard who strangles people in their sleep, and that I didn't want to risk,"_ she had said, and didn't that, in a way, imply that she had fought for him? He certainly shouldn't bee so happy about this, because firstly, she could have had another intention in the first place; secondly, she might have said that only to appease him; and thirdly, he didn't need her to carry out his fights for him, certainly not.

But now as he was looking down onto her sleeping face, he couldn't help being happy about it. He hadn't often thought about girls and love and stuff, but in the few moments he had done it, his future girl had never been a coward, hiding behind him and dependent on his protection, and maybe (or rather, surely) that had been heavily influenced by his view on her as he had gotten to know her. Or, as he knew now, had gotten to fall in love with her.

It still wasn't easy to admit now. The thought that he, the free and unattached Portgas D. Ace, had taken such a step, and involuntarily, too … it was scary. Nobody had asked him for his opinion in this matter, because he certainly would have said No, loud and clear.

But that didn't change the fact that actually, he couldn't change anything.

* * *

They travelled through the night and the following day, and Yami slept through the whole time. Just when they finally reached the next island did she start to wake up, and only because Ace awoke her.

After exploring the island a bit, they found that it was actually quite big, unlike the ones they had been on before, though not as big as Alabasta. They spent the day wandering through forests and discovered two cities, before finally reaching a sandy beach which seemed perfect for Ace to train. Yami watched him from afar, leaning onto a tree trunk, and thought that it actually looked quite beautiful. Sometimes he seemed to dance with the flames, and the way the fire traced his movements only intensified the impression.

Soon she found herself wondering what fighting him would be like. Okay, apart from hot. And by watching him, she started to think about how to counter his movements. Evade, evade, disappear, get him from behind.

She idly asked herself who would win that fight. After all, he was way more dangerous than Dai, and she had only barely won against Dai, and only because …

… yeah, because of what? Sheer luck? Unrealistic. A higher power? Snort.

Even now she didn't know what had happened, and how. She only knew it had saved her life.

When the sun started to go down, Yami had enough. She was hungry, and they had wanted to check out the bars here anyway, to gather information about Teach's whereabouts. And she had gotten an idea of how to surprise him.

Standing up, she slowly walked towards where he was standing and sending a huge fire blast in the direction of the sea, panting heavily and sweating all over. Grinning, Yami positioned herself and stretched out both arms, crossing her flat hands over each other, palms pointing in Ace's direction.

Catching his curious glance, she giggled before shouting, "SHADOW FIRE!", sending a gust of wavering and flame-like shadows onto him.

"WAAAH!" Ace shouted, jumping back.

Yami almost cracked up with laughter as she saw him landing in the waves rolling softly onto the shore.

"Why you …!" he shouted but soon landed on his hands and knees, weakened by the seawater.

Yami was still laughing her ears off. "Haha, I didn't think it'd work so well," she giggled before finally taking pity and running down to offer him a hand while securely avoiding the oncoming waves.

He made an effort and took it, and she pulled him upwards and out of the water – only to meet his malicious grin a split second before being yanked down with him.

"KYAAAA!" she exclaimed as she, too, landed in the shallow waves in a loud splash. Panic flooded through her before she managed to prop herself up on her arms, spurting seawater.

She heard him snicker next to her and wanted to splash some water in his direction, but found that it was hard to even raise an arm.

"Bastaaaard!" she yelled, gathering her strength and swooping down on him.

He evaded only barely, laughing hard. "Come and get me, crazy girl," he taunted and made a dash for the sand – 'dash' meaning scrambling through the water slowly, which was as fast as he could in that situation.

"Oh no you don't!" she grinned, grabbing his leg and trying to pull him back.

After several minutes of playful fighting, they finally managed to climb onto dry ground again, both panting and exhausted.

"You brat," Ace mumbled, letting his arm fall onto her stomach as they lay on their backs next to each other on the beach.

"Right back at you," Yami smiled, giving a weak punch into his side. "And seawater sucks."

"Well, it was the decision we made," Ace said. "It's not like Devil Fruits get eaten by accident." He gave a snort. "Unless your name's Luffy and you just eat everything you get your hands on."

Yami giggled. "What, really?!"

"Really." He chuckled at the memory of his brother's story.

"Hmm-hmm." Yami stared up at the beautiful orange sky, thinking back to the moment when she herself had purposely changed her own life so drastically that there was no way of ever going back again. "How did you get yours?"

She saw him shrugging. "Found it hanging on a tree."

"Those things actually grow on trees?" Yami asked, surprised.

"Well, what do you think? That they're emerging from the sea?" Ace snorted. "How did you get yours, then?"

She closed her eyes. It would have been better not mentioning this, but she had started it. _Partners_, she reminded herself. "The crew I was with had found it somewhere, I don't know where. They didn't tell us children. And nobody dared to eat it, for fear of what could happen."

"So you ate it?"

"In a way." She smiled weakly. "Children are stupid."

"Yeah." He gave her a quick glance from the side, as if he sensed that she wasn't telling him everything, but said nothing, for which she was glad.

Back in one of the cities they had passed through, they immediately found a bar and made themselves comfortable.

"What's that?" Ace asked the barkeeper, pointing at a strangely blue drink in front of another customer, who was chatting vividly with who seemed to be his girlfriend.

The young man grinned. "This is this island's speciality," he said.

Ace shrugged. "Then two of those, please."

"Hey, you didn't even ask me!" Yami complained, but Ace waved it off.

"I know you're curious as hell, so stop pretending that you're not dying to find out how it tastes."

_Damn, he knows me_, Yami thought and pouted. _When did he learn that?_

While Ace interviewed the barkeeper about Teach and ordered their food, Yami took a seat in the corner and watched the people in the bar. When he came after her with the drinks, he looked disappointed. "Couldn't tell me anything," he sighed. "Let's go to the other town tomorrow. He had to pass here at some point, so there has to be somebody knowing something."

"Well, at least you know you're on the right track," Yami stated and toasted him. "There's just this one way here." Taking a sip of the drink, her face contorted into a grimace immediately. She gulped and put her hand onto her mouth. "Ewwww!" she uttered when she was able to speak again, and looked at Ace, who seemed rather amused. "That's awful! Don't drink that!"

Ace shrugged and took a sip now himself. "Why? It's good!"

"Then you can have that, too," she said, shoving her drink towards him. "Ewww."

They discussed how to proceed now, and came to the conclusion that it would be for the best if they now found themselves a place to stay for the night and went on to the next city the next day. If there was also nobody knowing about Blackbeard, they could just sail on.

Ace really drank both of the cocktails, and even ordered a third. The barkeeper, however, started to frown. "Okay, one more, but two is really the limit," he mumbled, and Ace and Yami looked at each other in confusion.

"Doesn't taste like there's so much hard stuff in there," Ace snorted as the guy had disappeared behind the counter again, and Yami nodded.

"Don't know what he's on about either. And didn't he see you've already had two?"

"Don't tell him. That stuff tastes really good."

Yami shrugged and dug in her plate generously filled with rice and salmon. She would keep to her sake, that was for certain.

After their meals, she leaned back contentedly. "What about playing cards or so? Perhaps we could encourage some of those people to a game or two …"

"Mmh." Ace yawned. "Do that without me. I'm tired, I think I'll go now."

"You what?" she asked incredulously. "What's with you so suddenly?"

He shrugged. "Narcolepsy?"

"As if your narcolepsy needed to give any warning in advance, cowboy. You should know better."

"Well excuse me, but just for you to remember, it was _me_ who kept himself awake the whole night, while a certain _someone_ was sleeping soundly," he huffed, seeming a bit annoyed now. "And snoring, by the way."

"I don't snore," Yami pouted. "Fine. I'll go with you. We have to find a hotel together anyway. But I'll go back after that."

When they quitted the bar, the young man behind the counter waved after them, grinning. "Have fun!"

Yami frowned back, but then they were already out and she shrugged it off. _Strange fellow._ "I think I've seen a hotel as we passed that street there today," she announced and started walking in the appointed direction. Ace followed her, but he seemed really tired, almost unable to keep her pace. And she didn't walk fast there.

After five more minutes, he stumbled over his own feet. "Hey!" Yami said, grabbing his arm. "Cowboy, are you okay?" She looked at him worriedly, and at first he didn't react. His head was bent down, and when he lifted it slowly, he was staring at her hand on his arm as if he had never seen such a thing. "Cowboy …?" Yami asked and took her other hand up to give him a slight slap on the cheek, just in case he was already falling asleep here and now.

A gasp left her mouth when her eyes met his.

_Blue. _

They were _blue_.

But she didn't have much time to think about it. It was a matter of seconds: in one moment, she was standing there, her hand raised half-way to his face, the other on his arm, staring incredulously.

And in the next, she found herself grabbed fiercely and shoved against the next house wall, and none too gently, with her hands pinned down against the rough façade above her head. "Ooouch! What the …!" she managed to gasp as she stared at him and his strange blue gaze wide-eyed, only one second before his lips crashed down onto hers, and her head hit the wall hard. "Mhmmf!"

She couldn't believe what was happening. Was that really … Was he really just … _kissing_ her? Well, _attacking_ was the better word here, anyway. Keeping her unable to move with his body pressing up against hers, almost crushing her against the hard wall, his mouth savaged hers in a fierce onslaught that couldn't be called 'kiss' anymore.

She simply didn't get it. Had she lost her brain somewhere on the way? Because just now, it was as empty as a sieve. She could only stare into nothing as his tongue pushed its way through her lips wide open with surprise, and the hand that didn't hold hers slipped beneath her shirt, making its way upwards.

When he grabbed her right breast, squeezing hard, Yami cried out into his mouth, and managed to yank her head away from him. "Ouch! What the hell! What the hell, cowboy! Leave it! L…hmmmf!"

His mouth was on hers again, taking her words and her breath. She could only gape at him – was that really him? – as his hand was suddenly behind her, sliding lower until it rested on her butt, pushing her against him. And for the first time, she noticed that there was something there that shouldn't be, something he had always carefully hidden from her in the mornings. _Oh … Oh!_ And she realised that he was freakin serious about this.

"Ouch! Dammit, OUCH! Cowboy … no, please … this isn't the right time!" she panted as soon as he took his mouth off hers. He let her hands go, to use both of his to take her up against him, and she involuntarily wrapped her legs around his thighs.

He was staring down at her, and she saw the raw desire in his eyes. If they hadn't been blue and glowing uncannily, this would have been the moment where she would have given in, no matter how much her shoulder was aching and throbbing under that rough attack of his.

But even through the heat that had come up inside her, even through her own awakening desires and the wish to throw reason overboard and just go with the flow – she knew that something wasn't right.

"Please, cowboy," she whispered breathlessly. "Please don't. You're hurting me. Seriously."

He only growled in response, and then she knew that he had lost it. And that this was definitely wrong. She wanted him, of course she did, she had wanted him all along, but not like this. Not with him in a delirious state where he didn't notice anything anymore. Because that was how it was – she didn't think him the type of guy who'd purposely and seriously hurt the girl he wanted to sleep with.

It wasn't she who had lost her brain somewhere along the way – it was he.

"Go on and you'll make this a rape," she whispered, looking at him intently. "Please don't. Portgas, please don't."

But instead of letting her go, he bent down to continue with assailing her neck, biting down, sucking and licking the sensitive skin. It really did hurt – he was rough and didn't care about her injury. And despite the various shivers that were running down her spine, she could still think clearly now, and she knew what she had to do.

Transforming in a split second, she swooshed behind him, and before he could even grasp that she wasn't where she had been before, she struck out and crashed him into the wall face-first. He gave an agonised moan before sliding down the wall and landing on the floor, out cold.

Yami panted heavily. Her hand still raised, she watched his slumped form until she was sure that he was knocked out. "Sorry, cowboy," she muttered silently, "but I'm not gonna be raped by anybody, not even you."

* * *

**Author's note:** … and once again I'm a little bitch. I'm sorry! But I just love these cliffies :-P

_**Coming up:**_

Yami face-palmed. "Seriously. You should stop thinking, man. Do I look to you like I'm fucking _shy?_" – haha, I love that sentence …

A loud crash made her jump with fright, and the brush fell to the floor with a clattering sound. – uh-oh …

It was that little voice in the furthest back of her mind that reminded her of the absolute no-go-ness of this situation. She wanted to ignore it, but the bastard was persistent. – I'm still congratulating myself on the "conversation" that follows these sentences …


	38. This Is Crazy

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 38: This Is Crazy**

"_Go on and you'll make this a rape," she whispered, looking at him intently. "Please don't. Portgas, please don't."_

_But instead of letting her go, he bent down to continue with assailing her neck, biting down, sucking and licking the sensitive skin. It really did hurt – he was rough and didn't care about her injury. And despite the various shivers that were running down her spine, she could still think clearly now, and she knew what she had to do. _

_Transforming in a split second, she swooshed behind him, and before he could even grasp that she wasn't where she had been before, she struck out and crashed him into the wall face-first. He gave an agonised moan before sliding down the hard concrete and landing on the floor, out cold. _

_Yami panted heavily. Her hand still raised, she watched his slumped form until she was sure that he was knocked out. "Sorry, cowboy," she muttered silently, "but I'm not gonna be raped by anybody, not even you."_

So there she was now, standing shakily over Ace's motionless body on the ground, and her hand slowly dropped to her side again. "Aah, fuck," she mumbled to herself, scratching her head. "What the hell, Portgas. Just what the fucking hell. Who forgot to tell you that you just don't do this to injured people."

What should she do now? Leave him there and look for him tomorrow? Yeah, and find him mugged and pissed and whatnot. Or picked up by the police for vagrancy. Or molesting passing women on the street.

No, she couldn't do that. Perhaps he'd wake up and everything would be okay. Whatever it was that had gotten into him.

Looking down on him, she sighed. She had to think functionally now. How should she get him anywhere like this? She knew from experience that unconscious people were at least twice as heavy, compared to the fully-alive version. And right now, she was in no state to just casually fling one twice-as-heavy cowboy over her shoulder and walk away with him. And apart from that – jeez, was she tired.

Her gaze darted back to where the bar they had just left was barely visible at the corner of the street, then to the street they had wanted to enter, where she thought she had seen a hotel earlier. Trying to estimate the distance, Yami decided not to rely on luck but go back to the bar. She would get the barkeeper to help her carry cowboy to a hotel – he should know where one was, too.

But first she knelt down next to her unconscious comrade and checked his pulse, just to be sure – it was slow and steady, nothing special about it. The wound at his forehead, where she had smashed him into the wall, was a mere bruise, not worth mentioning. Grabbing his hat, she stuffed it into her rucksack – no need to have the colourful item cry out "I'm the infamous pirate Portgas D. Ace, you can see me on my wanted poster at the corner!". She also double-checked whether he was really out cold, giving him slight slaps on his cheeks. Lifting his eyelid, she gasped once again, seeing the colour.

"Dammit, what _is_ this …" she mumbled to herself. "Some kinda spell? Or …" When realisation hit her, she raised her head with a jerk.

Blue. Blue like the sea. Or … the drink he had had in the bar.

"Tsk," she growled. "Don't tell me …" _One more reason to re-visit that guy._

She almost ran towards the bar, and as she threw the door open, the glass window rattled in its confines.

"You!" she yelled, drawing the attention of not only the barkeeper but every other patron as well to herself.

Being yelled at so suddenly, the young man flinched, looking rather scared. "W-what is it?"

"What, indeed," Yami hissed. "That's what I wanted to ask you! Why did cow- my companion just get blue eyes and tried to rape me, huh?"

Someone chuckled, but stopped after Yami's angry glare hit him.

"R-rape?" the barkeeper squealed. "T-that's not how it works!"

"Yah, whatever. You can tell me while you help me to get him into a hotel," she said, feeling incredibly tired once again.

"B-but I have to stay here and –" he tried to protest, but Yami's aura seemed to be so menacing that after she had only taken a few steps in his direction, his mouth snapped shut like a spiral spring.

"Just in case you didn't notice," she said, markedly calm, "I'm pretty much injured here, and it hurts like hell because I've just been tossed against a house wall, and I'm gonna make _you_ hurt like fucking hell if you don't fucking come with me to fucking carry cowboy off. Fucking _now_."

The young man stared at her like the little bunny at the giant snake, but only for a moment. Then he turned to one of the patrons sitting at the counter, and asked him to watch business as long as he would be away before following Yami out.

"So, explain," she prompted, and he nodded.

"Uhh, well. The drink you've both had … it's full of aphrodisiacs. It's this island's speciality. And I seriously apologise – seems like two's way too much for him," he said ruefully. "Wouldn't have thought … he's got the build of a man who can stand a bit too much …"

"He had three of them. I didn't like mine, so he drank it," Yami informed the guy, sighing inwardly.

The barkeeper gasped. "Oh … oh, I'm so sorry … why didn't you tell me so?"

Yami only barely refrained from shrugging, which would have hurt very much. "We thought the problem was with alcohol. And he's quite good in holding his liquor, so …" She sighed again. Who was to blame now? Who could she be angry at now? Damn it all.

"Normally one is enough. I just thought it'd help you …"

She gave him a glare. "And what made you think so?"

"Ehe …" He scratched his neck sheepishly. "You seemed to me like you had the hots for one another, and just couldn't get over your inhibitions …"

Yami face-palmed. "Seriously. You should stop thinking, man. Do I look to you like I'm fucking _shy?_"

"I … I'm sorry," he mumbled.

By now they were arrived at Ace's slumped figure against the wall. "Yah, well. Here he is," she said.

She saw the young man swallow hard. "What?" she asked, pretty impatient now. "We don't have the whole century, you know. He could wake up any minute. Perhaps he'll be after _you_ then, who knows."

"You … You knocked him out?" he asked, again with that squealiness in his voice that made him into said bunny.

"Yah." When he just stared at her incredulously, she raised her hands in a can't-help-it gesture. "Whaddaya know. When you're panicking because your friend just turned monster and tried to jump your bones, you can be quite strong. Or so I found out."

He nodded hesitantly, then bent down to take Ace's arm to lift him up. "Could you … take the other?"

"I'll try." She ground her teeth as Ace's weight on her shoulder sent a sharp pain through her upper body. _Tsk. Other people in my condition are recovering in freakin' _beds_._ "When will this be over?"

"A few more hours, perhaps. It'll be faster if he's sleeping."

To her relief, the hotel really was where she thought she had seen it. Convincing the receptionist that Ace just had had one too much, with which the barkeeper helped a lot, the elderly man took over from Yami and together the two men carried him upstairs, heaving him into a bed.

"Jeez," Yami sighed as they had taken their leave, the barkeeper wishing her luck so that he wouldn't wake up, at which the receptionist looked questioningly but said nothing. "You sleep," she ordered the unconscious figure on the bed, and sank onto a chair. She was exhausted. And as it seemed, this would be her sleeping place tonight. Yay.

After a few minutes of inner struggle, Yami had convinced herself to go get her toothbrush – leaving it out wasn't healthy at all – and to at least put on some comfortable clothes, if she had to sleep on the floor.

She dragged herself towards where she had dumped her rucksack, rummaged her way through until she had found her necessities, then shuffled to the small bathroom.

She had already changed into her sleeping shorts and shirt and was halfway through the procedure of teeth brushing when she heard a sound coming from the bedroom. She stopped short and listened intently, but could hear nothing. _Maybe I'm just a little paranoid_, she thought, finishing brushing her teeth, and spat out the foam. With an exhausted inhale, she grabbed for her hairbrush next – but she didn't get that far.

A loud crash made her jump with fright, and the brush fell to the floor with a clattering sound. She whirled around – to find herself confronted with (really, who'd have thought it!) Ace's broad frame blocking the doorway. He was holding himself upright with one hand at the frame, his dark brown hair dangling wildly around his eyes, his uncannily glowing blue gaze focused directly on her.

_Well, fuck. _

"Why can't you sleep like a normal stupid idiot?" she asked him, not expecting an answer and not getting one, anyway. Instead, he let out one of those low growls that sent shivers down her spine and would have, under different circumstances, made her melt like butter in a microwave.

Not that she wasn't already starting to melt, though. Here he was: untamed, featherbrained, incredibly strong, randy and ready to go and give her the ride of her life. Or to just fuck her brains out. And wasn't that charming.

But she hadn't any time to consider anything, for now he started to swoop down on her. And in this tiny cabin called 'bathroom', she had nowhere else to go.

"Damn … cow…boy!" she cursed as she fended off his advances with both hands, which didn't only hurt a bit. And of course it was fruitless. In no time he had overcome the little distance between them, pressing up against her and almost crushing her between himself and the porcelain sink behind her. She still had her hands up and before her mouth, trying to prevent him from 'kissing' her once more, but that only made him resume to licking and biting the skin around her neck.

"F…uck," she groaned, really tempted to just give in and let him have his way with her. It felt like he had his hands all over her, squeezing her butt, roaming over her back, up her front and below her bra, gentler this time but still with that savage undercurrent that turned her on like nothing else.

A moan escaped her mouth, which made him press his lower abdomen against hers, grinding a fully fledged erection against her core. She replied by digging her fingers into his sides in sensual agony, now seriously considering the possibility. What of it, anyway? He seemed to want it too, ohh yeah he did, and who was she to deny him that pleasure? Just a little bit of consensual sex didn't hurt anyone, right?

_Right …_

He half-kissed-half-bit his way up to her face, panting in the exact same way that she did, buried his hand in her hair and slightly yanked her head upwards, so that she had to look at him. And there was fire in his eyes, she saw it clearly. Not literally, no … but it made her breathless.

"I want you," he half growled, half moaned, and Yami's ability for rational thinking went overboard. She let him kiss her this time, and although fierce, it wasn't as brutal as his former attempts had been. He pressed his lips onto hers and stole what was left of her breath while his hand behind her head didn't allow any space to be between them. She gave a moan when his tongue entered her mouth, feeling, exploring.

Sweet nothingness in her head.

It was that little voice in the furthest back of her mind that reminded her of the absolute no-go-ness of this situation. She wanted to ignore it, but unfortunately, the bastard was persistent.

_He's not in his right mind, and you know that very well_, it said.

_Yah, and isn't that a pity_, she replied.

_But you are. You have to stop this. _

_Why? That wouldn't be sensible at all. _

_I'm your reason, dammit! If I'm not sensible, then who is? And I tell you to stop!_

_What if I don't?_

_Then you're in serious danger of losing your only friend in this world._

…

Her eyes flew open, and she stared at the white tiles above the door. Ace was still busy with kissing her, but she had made a decision. The right decision.

Slowly, she took her hands up to frame his face, and broke away from his lips. "I'm sorry, cowboy," she said calmly. "We can't do this."

"I want you. Now," he responded, and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Do you know how much I want you to say this to me? In your un-drugged state, that is." She ignored the delicious feeling of his hard-on pressing against her abdomen, and shook her head. "Please, come to your senses!"

He growled like a wolf, almost baring his teeth.

"I don't want to hurt you again, cowboy, so please stop it."

Her pleas had little effect on him, however. In the end she had to transform again, to get behind him and out of the bathroom. He darted for her as soon as he had realised that no, this wasn't Yami, this was air in his arms, and she jumped onto the bed. She already had a plan.

When he was only a few steps away, she swiftly put her palm onto his chest, concentrating, sending all her energy to this single place.

The effect was immediate: in less than one second, he toppled over, falling onto the bed with her. She followed him down, careful not to break the contact, always concentrating. For fear of suffocating him, she turned him around so that he was now lying on his back, and was met by his confused blue-glowing stare. "What …?" he mumbled weakly, trying to move – which was, of course, quite difficult for him.

"Sorry, cowboy," she muttered. "But as little as you like this now you'd like the other way when you woke up tomorrow."

"Please," he breathed, looking so miserable and pitiful that she had to avert her eyes. Nobody should see him in such a state, him who was so proud. "Please … do me …"

"No will do."

"It … hurts …" he moaned, arching his back as if he wanted to rub his erection against the inner surface of his pants to get at least some relief. "Please … please …"

"I know. I'm sorry. You'll understand tomorrow."

"Oh … please …"

"No! And will you shut up!" she snarled, resting her head on her hand while the other still held him down.

"Do me … it hurts so much …"

"Gosh," she mumbled wearily. "This night's gonna be fuckin' long."

* * *

**Author's note: **Wheeew! And what will he say when he'll wake up? So much fun to mess with the cowboy … ;-)

_**Coming up: **_

"Oh … God …" he groaned, holding his head. – Waking up is so much fun …

_Oh God, please let me disappear right here._ – Poor thing, I'm really always just messing with you …

"No, I don't see," he mumbled, already realising he had lost. There was just no beating her stupid self-invented logic. – It's just like Luffy logic, unbeatable …^^


	39. Waking Up

**Author's note: **I'm sorry I couldn't make it faster, despite all your requests. Yet, I'm so happy you all want it to be uploaded already, and it's good you guys keep on kicking my butt so I'll hurry and write. It's not that I'm too lazy ... it's just that I lack the time. So now I took it, and here's the result. You could read the last part of the last chapter again, that's what I always do when I've almost forgotten what the story is about^^ Oh, and I'm also grateful for all anonymous reviewers so far ... Thanks, guys. I don't have a chance to thank you except here, so ... Thanks :-)

Annnd ... this is containing spoilers. If you don't know what 'haki' is … well, you could skip the last part, but … you could also read it and be spoilt. Your choice. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 39: Waking Up**

Ace awoke as the sun sent its rays straight onto his closed eyelids.

"Hmmmngh …" he mumbled, turning his head – only to meet a soft and warm resistance. He blinked his eyes open, finding a leg right in front of his eyes. _Nani?_

He followed the leg upwards with his eyes. Of course and as he had already suspected from the scent, it was Yami, sitting upright against the bed's head section, one hand at her side, the other sprawled out over his torso, and her legs, meanwhile, sprawled out over the bedside next to him. Her head had sunk down to rest upon her shoulder, and even in her sleep, she had a strained expression on her pretty face.

He asked himself how the heck they had ended up in that position. Had he been that tired yesterday? He only remembered that incredible tiredness that had overwhelmed him at the bar … Had she brought him here? But that didn't account for her sitting position.

He was still considering whether to wake her up or to let her sleep when she relieved him of that decision by waking up herself. She gave a sudden jerk which shoved her upright, and as soon as her eyes met his, she shrieked and drew up her knees towards her chest – only to groan in obvious pain and almost fall off the bed immediately afterwards.

"What the …!" Ace hurried to grab her leg before she could go down, but she had already caught herself. The alarmed stare of tense expectancy she gave him instead made him frown. "You okay?" he asked, taking his hand off her knee.

"Ouch," she muttered and took one hand up as if to soothe the wound in her shoulder, but didn't take her eyes off him, watching intently.

"Are you okay?" he repeated, now sitting up himself.

"Right back at you." She cocked her head and examined him for a few more seconds, then sighed with, as it seemed, relief. "Oh, thank God."

"What the hell is …" All of a sudden, images formed themselves inside his head, like a puzzle. "… going on …"

His hand, shoving Yami against a wall. Her flushed face with her shocked eyes, staring up at him. Her voice … pleading him to stop. A sharp pain in his head. More pictures … pictures of her … sensations sweeter than anything he'd ever experienced … the taste of her skin … She, on the bed, waiting … knocking him out with her flat hand … words he had said … she had said … everything … like a dream, like a whole fucking nightmare.

"Oh … God …" he groaned, holding his head.

"You remember, don't you?" she asked silently. He whirled around with his eyes open wide in shock. She was still watching him carefully with her legs almost fully drawn to her chest, absentmindedly caressing her shoulder.

"What … was that?" he stammered. "Don't tell me … that really happened?"

"If you mean you savaged me, then yah, that really did happen." Her voice was calm now after the initial shock at waking up.

"What …! Why …! I never …!" he started but never got to finish his sentences. Everything was wildly swirling around in his head, preventing him from finding the words. He was downright horrified.

"Shhh, calm down," she said soothingly, now reaching out and hesitantly putting her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, nothing happened. It was that drink that made you go nuts."

He was shocked. Shocked because she actually tried to calm his mind, shocked because she hadn't taken flight long ago, shocked because she even had the guts to touch him, despite all he had apparently done to her last night. He still tried to grasp the Whats and Whys.

She was quiet for a moment, and, noticing his stare, took her hand back after a few seconds. "It was the drink," she repeated. "You're not at fault, I know that."

"Oh my God," he moaned, burying his face in his arms. "Oh my … God."

"It's okay, nothing happened." And, after a pause, "I'm not angry, cowboy."

He wanted to disappear into the next mousehole. This just couldn't be true. This was him after all, hot-headed but still rational him. And he didn't do stuff like that. He wasn't that kind of person, was he?

"I'm so sorry," he said to his arms in front of his face. "I'm so terribly sorry."

"It's okay," she repeated. "I'm serious. I mean … I do know you weren't in your right senses."

"Doesn't matter," he mumbled. _Oh God, please let me disappear right here._

"Aaalrighty," Yami sighed and, as he could see through a gap between his arms, tried to stretch her arms above her head. "Ouch, dammit!" She swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "Okay, cowboy. I'll go to the bathroom now, and when I come back, you're back to normal. Deal?"

He just waved his hand and she limped off, groaning insults at nobody in particular. He just wished she would curse _him_ – nobody deserved it more than he. As the door clicked shut behind her, he grabbed his face with both hands, digging his nails into his cheeks and temples.

He was the worst, really the worst. He had never, never been the type of guy who hurt a girl on purpose. Outside any fight, anyway. And even then – had he ever hurt a girl in his whole life? He didn't think so.

And now – he had almost raped the girl he was in love with. This was so completely unforgivable. It didn't matter what he had drunk, it absolutely didn't matter. Even with a hundred glasses of sake he would never have behaved like that.

On the other hand … didn't that mean it must take quite something to make him thus?

Anyway, he wouldn't forgive himself. From now on, he wouldn't drink one drop of anything in her presence. Except water, of course.

_If_, and the thought made his insides clench painfully, _if she still wants to be with me, that is. _

Actually, it was just perfect that she wasn't some weak little girl. If she hadn't been able to fight back … _Oh God_, he thought, his hand on his eyes. _This could've gone so much more wrong than it already has. _

Luckily, she wasn't a weakling, and luckily, she had managed to fend him off. Or else … He paused for a moment. Looked at in that light, why had she even resisted? Not that he wanted to make what he had done seem better, hell no … but, anyway. Since she had started to follow him like his second shadow (oh yeah, what a pun), she had always hinted, and none too vaguely, at her desire to sleep with him. So, wouldn't that make last night just the very thing she wanted? Why hadn't she just given in and pretended not to have noticed anything? He certainly wouldn't have blamed her. But yet, she had refused him, and that evoked a feeling within him which he couldn't understand. All he knew for certain was that the possibility was there … the possibility that she didn't want him anymore.

When Yami came out of the bathroom, he looked at her from under his bangs. "I'm so sorry," he said ruefully. "How can I ever make it up to you?"

She exhaled in a way that seemed quite annoyed to him. "Didn't I tell you? Stop that crap already, I'm not angry. But I might get if you go on like that." She tried to stretch her arms again, and failed. "But as to how you can make it up to me," she groaned, "I'd say you have to massage my shoulders, but as that would probably destroy more than make me feel pleasant, you can go with my feet, since last time wasn't that bad."

"Your feet?" he asked, a bit surprised. "Do they hurt too?" He certainly couldn't recall having done anything to her feet, that at least.

"Nah, but I have to make you do something or else you'll be sitting there like a picture of misery for the rest of the day."

He almost smiled – that was just so like her. "Okay, come on."

She sat down on the bed and stuffed some pillows underneath her back and shoulders. Sighing as she leant back, she stretched out her legs, and he started his business, eager to make up for everything and anything.

"Mmh, great," she sighed. "You're so warm."

"As if that's so wondrous," he mumbled. In fact, her feet were quite cold, so anything must have felt warm to her at the moment.

"Say," he said silently after a few minutes when he couldn't stand it anymore.

"Hmm?" She opened her eyes to sleepily gaze at him.

"Why didn't you … play along?" His heartbeat was in his ears as he waited for her to respond, more now than in the last few minutes, and his strange anxiety threatened to overwhelm him. Yet, he managed to stay calm on the surface.

She snorted. "Sorry, but I'm not the type who likes being hurt, thank you very much."

"I'm –"

"Say 'I'm sorry' and I'll kick you, cowboy!"

Yet again, he almost smiled. "I know … but the second time it wasn't that rough, was it?" The pictures and feelings returned in their whole passionate glory, and he swallowed hard. Her skin beneath his hands, beneath his mouth, her lips under his … _Jeez, cut that shit out_, he snarled at himself.

She cleared her throat, but remained silent for a few moments. "I know … but … I just didn't want to," she then said and turned her head away, staring at something outside the window.

"Why didn't you want to?" Her words were piercing directly through his heart, injuring him with their truth. She didn't want, it was as easy as that, wasn't it? Still, he wasn't satisfied. "You wanted it the whole time, didn't you?"

"Yah, but …" She sighed and raised her face, so that their eyes met. "It just wasn't you, okay?"

"Wasn't me?" he repeated, dumbfounded.

"Listen up, cowboy," she started, a little angry now for whatever reason. "I do want you to sleep with me, and as I already told you yesterday and as I'm sure you do remember, I do want you to tell me that you want me, but what good is it when you're all drugged up at that time? It's not like I need it that badly, and apart from that, I'm not the kinda person who abuses others while not conscious – how could you ever think me that, you bastard! – and would you now please stop cross-questioning me!"

Well, and didn't that leave him with his mouth wide open – and a really, _really_ guilty conscience. Suddenly he felt even worse than before, which he hadn't thought possible just seconds ago. "S-"

"SAY 'SORRY' AND YOU'LL FLY RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW!"

So they both sat upright on the bed, staring at each other, he with her foot in his hands – and, as if somebody had flicked an invisible switch, started to laugh. It was foolish, and stupid, and senseless, really … but it helped for the moment. They laughed until Yami's shoulder could no longer be ignored and Ace's stomach started hurting. Finally they calmed down, the laughs subsiding to mere chuckles.

"Gosh, cowboy. We're such freaks." Yami wiped a stray tear out of her eye, soothing her injury with the other hand.

"I guess so," he replied, leaning backwards onto the bed's footboard. "Jeez."

"We should leave this fucking island as soon as the pose sets. Horrible place."

"Yeah." He absentmindedly caressed her foot, which he was still holding in his hand. He liked the 'we' in her sentence. Really liked it.

"Oh, and just for the record. You owe me two kisses now. At least."

He looked at her incredulously. "What?"

She raised her brows. "You should really clean your ears, cowboy. I said you owe m–"

"I got that," he interrupted her. "Didn't you have enough kisses already?" Which made him recall those kisses, nice little kisses, tasty little kisses …

Her eyes seemed to sparkle suddenly. "None of them came from you, Portgas. And since the first ones can't really be called 'kisses' but assaults, you owe me real kisses for them. Same procedure as for the one you already owe me." She smiled sweetly as honey.

_Portgas? First time she's calling me that. Well, better than 'cowboy', anyway._ "But if the later ones weren't from me, the first ones also weren't from me. In that case, I owe you a total of … wait, let me think … ah, I got it. _Zero_, sweetheart," he smiled back.

"Wrong!" she sang with a finger circling in front of her. "Because that doesn't matter, you see."

"No, I don't see," he mumbled, already realising he had lost. There was just no beating her stupid self-invented logic.

"You don't have to. As long as one of us gets the system, it's okay."

Ace turned his head away so as not to let her see the smile on his face. At an earlier point in time he'd have probably thought about the best possibility of shutting her up, or even ditching her. How time could change people.

"Ah, and I know another thing you can do for me," she remarked.

"Anything."

"Anything …?" Yami's lewd grin made him roll his eyes. "No, seriously. The healer said I should buy some ointment on the next island, which is very regenerative and should heal my wound within two or three days. So I need to renew the bandages … And I want you to do that."

"Me?" Ace's voice almost cracked in surprise. "But … are you sure you can … trust me?" he asked, in want of any reasonable excuse. _Because you'll be naked? Because I'm a guy? Because I'll never get those pictures out of my head?_ He was sure that none of these would go down well.

She gave him her best _Are-you-kidding-me_ look. "Cowboy. Are you, the guy who's fighting me off for two weeks non-stop, really asking me that?"

"I guess so," he mumbled.

"Tsk. Well, last night you wouldn't have hesitated." She stuck her tongue out at him, and her playful grin made him crazy once again. And not in a good way.

"Alright, stop being stupid, I'll do it."

"Wonderful!" She slipped off the bed and stood for a moment, trying to work out the kinks in her neck, before starting to collect her few things. He decided to do the same, and they were ready to go in no time.

After agreeing to have breakfast before setting out, almost out of the door already, Ace suddenly recalled something, which made him hold her back with his hand on her arm. She gave him a questioning look.

"What were you doing yesterday? I mean, how did you manage to … make me so weak?" Now that he remembered … he had already had this feeling before … but when?

She opened her mouth, then closed it again, evading his eyes. "I, uhh …"

Sensing that she was just about to give him one of her half-hearted lies once again, Ace frowned at her. "The truth, Yami. Partners, forgot?"

She stared at the door handle for a moment, then sighed. "Okay. But we should go down first, or we won't get any breakfast for today."

Ace almost died with curiosity on their way down. Finally, sitting on a little table in the corner of the hotel's restaurant, Yami explained.

"Okay. You know, it all started six years ago. I was thirteen, and I had just gotten free … uh, anyway. I was on Mahogany Island, and I was in that Marine station …" A sharp glance of hers cut off the questions that seemed to have shown in his eyes. "On my way, uhh, I came into a library. It was a huge library, and I don't know why, but I found this one book." Her hand drifted off into the direction of her rucksack, and he guessed she still had it. "That book, it was plain black, with golden letters on it. They just said 'Haki' – ever heard of it?"

Ace raised his eyebrows. "Haki? No, doesn't ring a bell …"

"Anyway. I took it because it somehow fascinated me – as if it was attracting me. And so I learned about the different types of this technique called 'haki'. The one I just used on you is called 'Busōshoku Haki', or 'Haki of the Colour of Armaments'. It's like … mmh …" She thought for a moment, and Ace noticed that the thoughtful expression on her face was somewhat beautiful. "It's like a layer … of a force or something that wraps around you when you use it, and that allows you to even touch a logia." Looking straight at him, she smiled. "Even when he transforms. It renders every Devil Fruit power useless."

Ace's chin was already lying on the floor since her last few sentences. "What? Are you kidding me?"

She just looked at him calmly. "It's all in the book. There are two more types, but I just got to learn that one, and I can't yet do it properly, so I have to concentrate real hard …"

Ace shook his head in amazement. "That there actually is such a thing …" he slowly said. "Kinda reminds me of kairoseki."

She nodded again. "Just like that. It's the same principle. The Marine bastards seem to know much about it," she remarked grimly. "The book also says that all of the upper ranks are able to use it. I thought it a good idea to learn it."

Ace grimaced. "Figures."

"And it's not only good for fighting Devil Fruit users. It's like reinforcement. Like, when I kicked that snake in Alabasta, remember?"

"Or when you punched the fake rebels guy," Ace said and nodded. "So much for your _shadow-propelled punch_, eh?"

Yami shrugged. "Yah, well … as if shadows could propel _anything_, cowboy."

He snorted, but frowned as another situation popped up in his mind. "Even earlier … in Yuba, you used it on _me_, right?"

She looked at him questioningly.

"When we arrived in the hotel and you thought it a good idea to demand me to kiss you. Now don't tell me you've forgotten!" Seeing her innocent face made him slightly angry.

"To be honest … yah, I had," she mumbled almost too low for him to hear. But he heard anyway.

"Tsk. And I always wondered how the heck you could manage to pin me down on the wall," he muttered, just an inch away from getting seriously pissed. So that had been her secret all along – now that he knew, he couldn't understand why he hadn't seen it all this time. "You've done it with Aizen, too, haven't you."

She nodded, propping her face up in one hand. "You angry?"

Ace's frown lost some of its depth at her calm words. "I … don't know. Why didn't you tell me?"

"You should know how hard it is to trust anyone," she said, and this time he knew she wasn't lying. Her eyes were so full of genuine truth when she looked at him that he had problems maintaining his pissed-ness. "Having advantages in battles is as important as can be … I know I'm stupid sometimes, and I'm sorry, but it's just so hard to get that out of me." He knew she wasn't just looking for excuses. She was telling the truth, and he wondered what had happened to her that had made her like this, had made her pull up the zip to her heart and put a lock on it. He wanted to know everything about her … but, as it was part of the problem, he didn't count on it to happen that soon. Or …

"But I'm trying. I'm trying, really, and …" She trailed off with a helpless gesture.

"I've an idea," he announced, and she cocked her head.

"You know, I'm just showing you my real, real, _real_ feelings, and you start changing the subject …" she huffed.

He ignored her sulky little outburst. "Listen. Let's make a deal. For everything I want to know of you, I have to answer one of your questions." He held his hand out for her to shake. "What do you say?"

She looked a bit confused. "So, like a question-for-question deal?"

"Yeah, exactly."

She twisted one of her red strands around her finger. "And you'll tell me anything?"

He nodded. "If you tell me anything."

She drummed her fingers on the tabletop, looking doubtful. He let her think it over while finishing his porridge – and falling into it in the meantime, for his narcolepsy had thought to have gotten too little attention lately.

When he awoke, his face smeared with oatmeal and cursing like … well, a pirate, the sound of her laughter made him pout at her.

She cleared her throat, still smiling. "Since I just had enough time to think this over … let's make that deal, cowboy."

His face hidden behind a huge napkin, he grinned.

* * *

**Author's note:** Everyone who already realised it was haki she's using – you'll get a virtual cookie from me, yay! Everyone who didn't – the better, that's what I intended :-)

_**Coming up:**_

He felt like the father of an extremely annoying I-wanna-have-this-and-I-wanna-have-that child, and pulled himself together really hard so as not to go yelling on her. – She managed to make him angry again, tee-hee …

This time, he really had to smile. "Come," he said, pulling her into an embrace, which she let happen without any resistance. – And reconciled again.

Her expression made him worry somehow. She didn't look as healthy and joyful as usual, with her smile rather weak and her eyes strangely un-sparkly. – What happened? Well, I know, but I won't tell … ;-)


	40. Shopping Craze

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.**  
**

**Author's note: **It's time for another Bleach crossover … hope you won't hate me^^

* * *

**Chapter 40: Shopping Craze**

"Whoooooa! Sugoooi!"

Ace raised his brows at Yami's sudden outburst of astonishment. "What, you've never seen a market? And here I thought you had gotten around a bit …"

"But it's _huge!_" she said, her mouth gaping slightly and her eyes sparkling. "It's so huuuge!"

She was right there, though. It _was_ huge, almost as if the whole town only consisted of market. Brightly coloured cloth was everywhere, covering the wooden stalls and making them seem like a sea full of flowers. It was no wonder that the island was only known as the 'Forum'.

"Oh! Look!" Yami took his wrist and pulled him towards one of those flowers, which, at close inspection, contained several kinds of weird-looking sweets (or what he supposed could be sweets).

"And here!" She pulled him to another flower, this time filled with sharpened steel. "Wow! What a cute dagger!" she sighed, her eyes sparkling even more than before.

Ace sweatdropped. "_Cute?_ Are you an idiot?" he asked nicely, earning not the slightest frown – and no attention either. _And here I thought she couldn't get any crazier than she already is._

"Look, it's so small and cute … and the ornaments … I wanna have it …" she rambled on, completely ignoring him.

"And do you, by any chance, possess the twenty thousand beli to pay for it?" he reasoned and pulled her away despite her struggling.

Half an hour (and many such fits) later, Ace was completely stressed out. He felt like the father of an extremely annoying I-wanna-have-this-and-I-wanna-have-that child, and pulled himself together really hard so as not to go yelling on her (which, had she really been that child, he would have done about twenty times already). 'This is the girl I love' had become his mantra, which had changed into 'This is the stupid baka I love', and made some detours just to get to 'This is the annoying stupid crazy baka brat of a freak I unfortunately fell in love with'.

"There's the ointment you've looked out for," he growled, pointing to another market stall. "Now go buy it and we're off."

She actually had the nerve to pout at him, but he gave her such an angry glare that she flinched. Sudden realisation flashed over her face. "Oh, I, e-he, did I do that again?" she asked rather sheepishly now, scratching the back of her neck. "You know, I can get quite, uhh …"

"Freaky? Crazy? Stupid?" he suggested sourly.

"… when I'm excited." She smiled, excusing. "Sorry …"

Ace just shooed her away to get her medicine, arms folded over his chest. Really now, how in the world should he be pissed off properly when she was making such a cute face? Really now.

On their way through the stalls, looking for a tavern, however, Yami's steps came to a halt all of a sudden.

"Jeez! What's it this time?" Ace groaned. A look at her face clearly told him that she was in other spheres right now, with her eyes sparkling and her mouth gaping.

She tugged on his arm absentmindedly. "Did … did that bird just …"

Ace now concentrated his attention on the stall that had caught hers, sighing inwardly. The stall was filled with cages of all kinds and sizes, big ones and small ones, square ones, rectangular ones, even heart-shaped ones or some that looked like little houses. In those cages, brightly-coloured birds were chirping and singing, one even talked, calling "Buy me, baaaka!" from time to time.

But it weren't those birds that had made Yami stop and stare. In a corner to the left of the stall was some sort of cockatiel with the typical crest and white-coloured feathers, but his beak was green and the crest red and yellow. His cheeks were shining in a bright blue. Right now, the strange-looking bird opened his beak and …

"It barked! Did you hear that!" Yami almost whispered in amazement. "Did you hear that, cowboy!"

"Yes, I heard. And what about it?" he asked, raising his brows at her.

"But … it barked!" she said, giving him one of her 'I-can't-believe-you're-so-stupid' looks. "It _barked!_"

"You already said that," he said dryly. "Three times."

"So cute!" she squealed, tugging at his arm.

"I see," he mumbled, while he didn't see at all. "I guess you wanna have that, too."

"Yes!" she breathed. "For real this time."

She had said that about the other things too, so Ace found it quite hard to believe. "Come on, let's go already," he sighed and started pulling her away, but this time she stayed as if her feet were nailed to the ground.

"Wanna have it," she said. "Now." An expression of fierce determination was on her face, one that he hadn't seen there before when telling him how urgently she needed to possess all those things. This time, she looked like nothing could stir her from her resolve.

Ace rolled his eyes. _A parrot, huh?_ "Then go ask the guy how much, so that he can tell you it's definitely _too much_, and we can go."

She nodded and went to the small round man selling the birds. They exchanged words, and she came running back to him with excitement written all over her face. "It's not much, he says! So … can you lend me some money? I'll pay you back when I, uh, earned some." She smiled sweetly.

"Will you stop being so annoying if I do?" he replied with a deep sigh.

"Promise!" She beamed at him when he gave her what she wanted, and rushed back to the seller.

Meanwhile, Ace noticed several high-and-mighty-looking people arrive. A tall and lean man with black shoulder-length hair and some silver stuff in them, who was wearing a snow-white scarf even though it wasn't cold at all, led the group. Behind him, a way smaller and almost tiny woman with the same black hair and dark violet eyes was talking quietly to a tall and muscular guy who had his bright red hair made up into a pineapple-like ponytail. His temples were covered with weird tattoos. Several servants were following them.

The black-haired guy went straight to the vendor, interrupting his conversation with Yami, (which meant the guy was talking to her and she was already talking to the bird). Ace frowned and made a few steps in their direction so as to hear what they were saying. He saw the shock on Yami's face when the guy pointed at the parakeet in the corner, the same barking bird that she had cast an eye at.

"One hundred thousand," the guy said rather boredly.

"What!" Yami exclaimed. "No way! Get off, I was here first!"

The guy gave her a cold glance, which didn't intimidate her at all. And when the salesman, his eyes large at the sum the guy was willing to spend, nodded several times at the man, did she explode.

"What the hell!" she yelled at Mr Rich-and-bored-looking, who simply ignored her. "I was here first! I wanted it first! So fuck off or I'll beat you into a bloody –"

Ace thought it better to interfere at that moment, before anyone would beat _her_ into a bloody whatever. He quickly slapped his hand over her mouth, to prevent her from getting them into trouble anymore. At the same time, the redhead behind the rich guy flared up. "Who do you think you are! Pay some respect to Kuchiki-sama!"

The woman, meanwhile, put her hand onto 'Kuchiki-sama''s arm. "Nii-sama …" she said. "It's okay, I don't …"

"No, you will have this bird," he disagreed, frowning darkly at Yami. "It is indeed an unusual species. It has to be treasured."

Trembling with rage in Ace's firm grasp, Yami watched with eyes burning with rage as the black-haired man handed the vendor a packet of money, at which the guy's eyes became just as round as his overall frame, and he quickly handed out the bird along with the cage and all.

With a further burning glare at Yami from the redhead, they departed again, leaving the people around them staring and whispering in awe. "Did you see that, that was Kuchiki-sama …" "Kuchiki-dono, he even came himself …" "Young Kuchiki-san looks so beautiful, she'll become just as graceful as her brother …"

Ace frowned, turning to the vendor. "Hey, you."

The man flinched. "I'm sorry, but one has to look after what's best for business …" he said apologetically, shrugging and worriedly eyeing Yami whose face had gone crimson with rage beneath Ace's hand.

"What's so special about those guys?" Ace asked, ignoring his excuses and pointing over his shoulder with his thumb.

"That was Kuchiki-sama …"

"I figured as much," Ace growled impatiently. "What's the matter with him, and why does he have to behave like a complete asshole?"

The man gasped. "D-Don't repeat that in front of Kuchiki-sama, if you love your life," he stammered, shaking his head. "Get away, get away, or else they'll think …"

"I'll let this woman loose on you if you don't answer me within the next five seconds," Ace threatened. "And that would have a bad outcome. For you, that is." As if to affirm his words, Yami let out a growl and tugged at his arm around her. He knew that she could free herself easily if she wanted.

"He's a collector of rare birds, a frequent customer of mine," the salesman said, sweating visibly and nervously watching Yami's attempts at breaking free. "About half of the town belongs to him, and he has the power to get us all punished if he wants …"

Ace had heard enough. "Come," he murmured to Yami. "This is just an idiot, don't care about him." Turning and going away from the stall, he managed to have her follow him obediently. He felt her burning with rage nevertheless.

She kept silent until they reached a calm street outside the marketplace, Then, without any prior warning, she raised her fist and punched a house wall, leaving a hole. When Ace looked at her, she glared back. Ace only thought that if she had his powers at this moment, her eyes would probably have literally burned. "Why did you restrain me?" she asked reproachfully.

"Because you'd just gotten us into some deep trouble," he answered, shrugging.

"But that was so freaking unfair!" she exclaimed. "I've seen it first, and I'd almost bought it, and then that guy came and …" Tears of anger gathered in her eyes, and Ace thought he couldn't believe his eyes anymore.

"I know, but …" He made a step towards her and, out of an impulse, caressed her cheek. "Why do you care so much?"

She stared at him for a moment, then turned her head away. "I really wanted to have that bird," she murmured. "I even had a name for it."

Ace would have smiled if the situation had been more cheerful. "But it's just a bird," he said softly. "You can just get another."

She shrugged. "But it barked," she said as if that explained everything, giving him a weak smile as if knowing she was talking crap again.

This time, he really had to smile. "Come," he said, pulling her into an embrace, which she let happen without any resistance. Taking his hand up to pat her head, he could feel how her frame pressed up to his chest, and couldn't help but like it. A lot.

"We'll buy another bird and let him sit in front of a dog all day," he told her, bending his head down to whisper in her ear, and felt her body tremble when she laughed.

"Alright," she sighed, smiling up at him. "Thanks." She buried her face in the crook of his neck again, and he could feel her breath against the sensitive skin there. Placing a soft kiss on the spot, she took a step back, and he let her go, a bit surprised.

She started walking in some direction, and he followed her, rubbing the place her lips had touched. It felt hot.

* * *

They found a tavern and Ace even came across a man who was able to tell him something about a 'Blackbeard-guy' he had heard from. As far as the man said, Teach should be on the next island. It was almost too good to be true – after all that searching, finally a ray of hope. Ace was so fired up he felt endlessly antsy. He decided to do some training after they had found themselves a hotel where they could take their things. It was dark by now, but he didn't care. _His_ training would never take place in darkness.

However, when they found a hotel, gotten a room (he had stopped bothering about a shared one by now) and he had just put his things down, ready to be off again, Yami reminded him of his promise.

"Haven't you forgotten something, Mister?" she asked, smiling and waving the small ointment jar at him.

"Oh," he said, stopping short. "Seems like I did." Her expression made him worry somehow. She didn't look as healthy and joyful as usual, with her smile rather weak and her eyes strangely un-sparkly.

"I'd rather have it done before you're off to God-knows-where," she remarked. The words were right, but there was something wrong with her voice. She sounded tired.

"Got it." He held out his hand and helped her take off her shirt, exposing all that cream-coloured skin. Oh, and bandages, many white bandages, too. His hand hung in the air just above her shoulder, feeling her body warmth, tempted to settle down and touch.

He didn't. Instead, he concentrated on her face, which was not all that easy, concerning this small amount of clothing she was wearing.

"Say," he muttered, keeping her hands from trying to unclasping the catch that held the layers of white cloth together. "It's still bothering you, huh?"

She shrugged, not turning towards him. "Seems so."

"Why, Yami? What was so special about it?" He was always trying so very hard just to know what was going on in that pretty head of hers. However, it didn't mean at all that he was understanding even half of it.

She shrugged again, and he saw her close her eyes. "I … I don't know," she whispered. "It's just as if it was meant to be, you know?"

He didn't know at all. "It was a parrot. Just a bird! You can get another –"

"But!" She whirled around, opening her mouth as if wanting to say something, then shook her head, throwing her hands in the air. "Ouch, dammit!" she then exclaimed. "I can't explain it, okay? I just …" She exhaled heavily and looked to the side. "I just can't stop thinking about that poor thing trapped in a cage, stuffed into a room with many other birds in cages, like goddamn _objects_."

She gave him a quick glance, seeing his surprised expression, then turned around with a sigh. "Yah, I know what you want to say. I'm crazy, and stupid, and weird. But know what? I don't care, okay? So just unwrap me already so we can get it over with, and I can sleep."

Imperceptible to her, he smiled. _So you think you know what I want to say, huh? Let me tell you something: there are times when you're really, really beautiful. That was what I probably wanted to say. Zero points for you, crazy girl._

"What would you have called it?" he asked softly.

She didn't answer right away, exhaling slowly. "Neela," she then said.

"And if it's a boy?"

She shrugged, then winced in pain. "Does that matter?"

"Concealing identities again, huh?" Ace's smile grew broader as he thought about the lizard in Alabasta. This girl was crazy, but at the same time so incredibly … yes, what? Cute? Honest? Sexy? Illogical?

He guessed it was probably a mixture of all of it.

He opened the clasp, bent down, and started to coil up the bandages, revealing more and more skin. Her right breast was unwrapped first, since most of the cloth had been focused on the part with the wound. Her pink nipple tightened when it got hit by the sudden gust of cold air, and he really had to remind himself to stay focused on his task. But it only got worse. He wanted to leave his hand there, feel that skin, feel her heat.

She kept still all the time, her eyes closed, not showing any expression.

Removing the last layer of bandages was the worst. He was almost finished, there was only that one piece of square cloth left, right over the wound, and the only bandage he had to take off. He was feeling her skin with every movement of his hand. Was that some kind of sweet torture someone had designed especially for him, or what?

And that interesting thought made its way into his head. What could prevent him from touching her, from kissing her, from seducing her? Nothing, there was nothing. Wasn't that what she wanted? And what he wanted? And –

"I'm gonna fucking _kill_ that bastard!"

"Huh?" Yami opened her eyes as if returning from a trance. "What?"

Ace was still staring at the wound, feeling rage rising up from deep within him. "That bastard. That goddamn bastard. I'm so gonna kill him for that, how dare he –" _Injure my girl_, he added in his head.

"Oh." Yami was looking at him in surprise.

He growled, then reached out for the little jar. "Really, if we ever meet that guy again I'll …"

Her right hand reached down and found its place on his head, starting to toy with his hair. When he looked at her he saw that she was smiling, and it looked real this time. "Thank you, Portgas," she said quietly.

"I mean it," he muttered, and didn't know he was almost pouting. He gently spread the ointment over the injured skin, careful not to hurt her, but she seemed not to feel any pain. Instead, she sighed, and it sounded like relief.

When he was finished and started putting on the bandages again, she stopped him. "I don't think I need them anymore. I'll just lie down and try to heal, then everything'll be fine." Then, before turning around, she sighed once again, looking satisfied. "Thanks, cowboy."

He watched her as she threw on a loose top and lay down on the large bed. "G'night. And have fun, whatever you'll be doing."

Whatever she meant with 'whatever'.

"Yeah, whatever," he mumbled. Something had snapped in his head. It wasn't from tiredness that she wanted to sleep, or from her injury bothering her. This wasn't right, she should be cheerful as usual, dragging him along to a bar, making him break his promise and happily indulge in alcohol or anything of the sort, and he couldn't stand seeing her like that. The wish to just make her happy was taking control of him, drowning out anything else.

He felt so incredibly alive, he just had to do something. Oh, and he would.

Opening the door, he looked back once more. She had her eyes closed, but of course she wasn't sleeping just yet. A little frown made her expression look strained.

_Just wait_, he thought, and the thought made him smirk. _Just wait._

* * *

**Author's note: **What's he gonna do, huh? Try to guess and you'll get a self-made cyber cake from me. (Yeah, no cookie this time.) You can even wish for a flavour.

_**Coming up: **_

"You won't get away with this!" the guy then seethed, bringing his strangely spiky sword up into attack position. – uwaaa, fighting time …

"What the hell! Why did you stop! What …!" Yami protested, and he let her down. "… And isn't this just great," she sighed when she realised the situation they were in. – Suspense! Jeez, I like suspense.

Something was suddenly drawing her closer, some weird force that made her caress the skin softly. – mmmh …


	41. Nontrivial Pursuit

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 41: Nontrivial Pursuit**

His hands buried deeply in the pockets of his trousers, Ace's face was so dark and determined that the people around him almost jumped out of the way as he came nearer. He seemed to emit an aura that told everyone to_ stay the fuck away _from him, because now he had something to do. Something important.

He ascribed it all to the most stupid sickness in the world. It was commonly called 'lovesickness', and he knew he was so deep in it that he wouldn't ever get out again.

And the strangest thing of all was that, although he was most conscious about it and knew that there was no way out, it didn't worry him at all.

And perhaps that was the most important reason why he _should_ worry.

Even in the dark, it wasn't difficult at all to figure out where that guy lived. It was the largest manor in the whole town, with its lushly green lawns surrounded by a high white wall with dangerous-looking, pointy black pikes on top, meant to scare burglars off.

Of course, it didn't scare _him_ off.

A leap, pulling himself up, and he was sitting on the coping. Carefully stepping over the pikes, he jumped down at the other side. The grass softened his fall and stifled any noise his feet were making as he started his way towards the huge building. His senses were sharpened, ready to react to any kind of noise that could indicate someone coming near him.

But nobody came. He saw some guards from afar, standing by the entrance and talking quietly, but they didn't see him. He guessed that though this was a better job for Yami, he was doing pretty well in playing shadow in the night.

When he was standing right before the house, he looked up, now a bit at a loss. Of course he didn't know what room he had to break into; it wasn't as if the windows were wearing name tags. "Room where all the birds are stored", yeah.

But if he stood completely still and concentrated on listening, he could faintly hear a noise that sounded like … chirping. Yes, it sounded like chirping birds, and thinking it over, it would be stranger if there wasn't any noise, seeing as the market guy had called him a kind of 'bird collector'.

Just as he had spotted a window in the first floor that was slightly ajar and where he suspected the bird collection to be behind, he heard footsteps from around the corner.

_Damn!_ His heart racing, he quickly decided to not make any ruckus and try to stay covered. He jumped, grabbed the windowsill, and pulled himself up just in time for a black-clad guard to round the corner.

He stayed completely motionless until the man disappeared again. _Phew_, he thought and continued according to plan. Turning towards the window, he managed to pull it open without falling down from the sill, and jumped into the room behind.

It was not dark, but yet not brightly lit either. The room was bathed in a dim light, and the various cages within gleamed softly.

The cages with which the room was almost filled to the brim.

Ace's jar almost fell to the floor as he saw all the birds. Collector, huh? Well, this collection was certainly something.

_Amazing, and yet questionable. _

He knew he wasn't here to play Ace The Great Bird Saviour, but seeing all those brightly coloured little feathery lads, his heart went soft as a biscuit. He guessed it was Yami's influence after all. So many days with a mentally disturbed person just had to rub off finally, right?

And that was why, just when he spotted the bird in question, the bird that had started all of this, he didn't only grab the cage and run for it.

Ohhh, no. He went to every single cage and opened it, enabling the colourful little guys to step into the real world again. Some of them did that right away, some remained in the backs of their cages, shivering with laid-back feathers.

Ace was halfway through with his new plan when the door opened.

He stopped short in his tracks, but of course he couldn't hide anywhere anymore. He was standing in the middle of the room, one hand holding the birdcage for which he had come in the first place, and the other just about to open a little dark blue parrot's cage door.

The person coming in stopped dead in her tracks when she saw all that ruckus and the birds flying around. It was the small woman that had accompanied the black-haired nobleman, and if Ace remembered correctly, it was his sister.

Their eyes met immediately, both wide as saucers.

_Oh, crap. _

He expected her to scream any moment. Or to run away, to scream for the guards to arrest him. Or to do … anything.

But instead, she just stood there, staring at him. And the more moments passed, the more Ace got convinced that she probably wouldn't do anything. "I'm, uh, sorry," he broke the silence, feeling stupid. Here he was, standing in another person's house and freeing their birds, stammering the most stupid of all apologies. "I just … This is important for me," he tried to explain, lifting the cage he held in his left hand. "I'll … better go now."

Yeah, that would most likely be for the best.

She was still staring when he made a few steps backwards, his hands held out for her to see that he didn't mean to do anything bad to her.

And yes, he would have made it.

Would have. If the red-haired pineapple-style guy hadn't chosen especially this moment to step into the room too. "Whew, Rukia. There you are. I was looking all around the house to … find … you … WHAT THE HELL?"

Of course, that was when he, too, discovered that they weren't the only two people in that room. With a quick movement, the pineapple guy jumped in front of the woman, pushing her backwards and at the same time drawing the sword from his side. His eyes were glaring daggers at Ace, who still stood there, a bit dumbfounded, with a barking and complaining little kinda-cockatiel in tow.

For a few moments, no one of them said a thing. That was when Ace noticed the protective way in which the red-haired guy tried to get the woman out of the danger zone, and drew his own conclusions.

"This is for the woman _I_ love," he therefore declared, holding the cage up. "I just wanna take this, and you won't stop me." With this, he slowly started walking backwards, still eyeing the guy who was, in turn, eyeing him to find out whether he meant danger for his woman or not.

"You won't get away with this!" the guy then seethed, bringing his strangely spiky sword up into attack position.

"Renji, just leave it …" the woman suddenly spoke up, grabbing the guy's black sleeve. This seemed to throw him out of concentration, and the tiny little moment he needed to look back at the woman was enough for Ace.

He threw himself around and out of the open window.

"OOOI!" he heard that Renji guy shout after him, but decided not to pay attention. There were no guards on the lawn yet, so he used the few moments he had to race across the field to get to the wall. While climbing, the birdcage crashed into it several times, and 'Neela' started protesting.

"Shut up, shut up, silly thing," Ace mumbled as he jumped down again. He already heard the sounds of the guards getting gathered, ready to pursue him, and he knew that he had to hurry. It was only a matter of time until they found out where they were currently staying, and then they were screwed, big-time. He had to make it to the hotel before them, throw Yami out of the bed, and get to the harbour.

Of course, he didn't take the normal way to their room. Almost throwing the cage on the ground in front of the window, he rushed up towards the first floor, his silhouette blurry with fire. Luckily, the window was open, or else he would've just broken through.

"GET UP!" was the first thing he said (or rather, yelled) when entering the room, and Yami started up from her sleep with a shocked gasp.

"Wawawawawhat?" she exclaimed, waving her hands around wildly and as if to protect herself from incoming danger.

"Shhh-shhhhh," he hissed, trying to sound soothing and at the same time grabbing his stuff in the room. "Get your things, quick! They're coming!"

"Who? Who's coming?" She sounded alerted, disturbed, but was already on the move. Not bothering with dressing properly, she stayed in her nightstuff and just slipped on her boots. Just like him, she was a pro in taking flight.

"No time, just come!" Ace grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the window, then simply jumped.

"KYAAAA!" she screamed, but was considerate enough to transform in mid-air so as to land softly. "You bastard! What the hell do you think you're doing!" she ranted.

He just grabbed the birdcage and her hand with his other, starting to make a run for it, and didn't that shut her up. Because rather than concentrating on running, or ranting at him, her attention was diverted by the object he was carrying.

"Is that …! Is that …?"

"Run, you idiot!" He could hear voices coming nearer. Crap, they had already gotten so close! And he knew that they still had to get to the harbour.

"Is that …! What did you …! Why did you …!"

"Shut the hell up and _run_, dammit!"

She was already panting, he could hear that. And she was slowing him down, even when he was the one who had been running across the whole town at breath-taking speed to get away from his pursuers.

That was why, after the umpteenth time of "Is that really …?", he simply stopped, bent down, ignoring her surprised face when she almost ran into him, and threw her over his shoulder. "Waaaah!"

"I _told_ you to shut up," he said through gritted teeth, and sped up.

"Cowboooy! What are you doiiing!"

_Dammit, so close already._ He could hear the voices and footsteps coming nearer. The clanking sound of drawn weapons resounded through the empty streets, yelling at him to hurry up or else.

"Fuck!" he cursed when he suddenly faced a dead end. Rushed, he looked around, searching for any kind of escape, but the only way he could see was climbing up the house front before him and trying to get up on the roof.

"What the hell! Why did you stop! What …!" Yami protested, and he let her down. "… And isn't this just great," she sighed when she realised the situation they were in. There was no time to turn around and get out to try another street; the soldiers were already too close. Soon they would appear from around the corner.

"Okay. You transform and get the hell up there. I'll hold them back and come after you. You unmoor the raft and –"

"No way!"

He turned in surprise. Flashing her eyes at him, arms akimbo, Yami didn't show the slightest inclination to move. Instead, she glared at him resolutely.

"We've got no time, hurry up!" Ace made another attempt at getting her out.

"I said, no fucking way! Are you deaf or what!"

"Now's not the time to …!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Yami had already grabbed the birdcage from his hand and had it slowly fade away as it got covered by blackness.

"What are you – hmmmpf!"

She had already shoved him out of the way, with her hand slapped over his mouth. "Shhhhh!"

"I saw him get in there!" someone said. "He must be here somewhere."

Then, darkness crept upon him. And literally, not metaphorically speaking. Just when he saw the redhead appear in the street entrance did his vision get swallowed up by the shadows. He wanted to take a step forward and position himself between Yami and their pursuers, but her hand on his wrist held him firmly, telling him to stay where he was.

"Hey! There's somebody there!" He heard the men approaching. Ace's blood froze, and he prepared to step forward, but the hand on his wrist was still there, clenching to indicate to him that he shouldn't move. And so he did, though it ached him to just do something instead of standing here like an idiot with shadows in his face, but he took all of his willpower and obeyed.

Footsteps were heard as the guards came closer.

"Oi! You there!"

_Shit. Why hasn't she transformed? That baka girl!_

"Excuse me?" he heard her say. From the tone of her voice, he could imagine her face pretty well: eyes wide open in surprise, mouth slightly gaping, all in all radiating such pure, undiluted innocence that made it seem impossible that this girl had ever lied in her whole life.

"Have you seen a man running about? Around here? Half-naked and with a ridiculous cowboy hat?"

_I'm gonna give you ridiculous, bastard! Your fucking hairdo is ridiculous!_

"Huh? Just now?" Jeez, she was an incredible liar. "I saw somebody over there" – of course he wasn't able to see where she pointed at – "and I asked myself what made him run so fast that late at night …"

"Are you sure?" The guy's voice was now really close. It was a strange feeling, hearing all that but not seeing anything. And trusting in not being seen either.

"Well, yeah, I am," she lied.

A slight pause. Then: "Aren't you …" _Oh, crap._ "Aren't you the girl from the market?"

He heard her snorting, while his heart was racing in his chest. He should interfere now, he could just burn it all down –

"Yeah, well, aren't _you_ the guy who seems to serve that canneloni asshole?" Yami asked, and Ace could almost _see_ her straight face.

"Why you …!"

Again, a pause. Ace gritted his teeth. The blindness was so killing him. He was on the brink of just throwing down that stupid disguise and using the surprise effect to get at the guy.

"You were with that guy." A statement, not a question.

"That guy? Yah, a faint acquaintance." Ace almost snorted. "Why, is that a crime or what?"

Another pause, in which Ace clenched his fists so hard that the imprints of his own fingernails would probably be visible for the next three days.

"Where is he?"

"Why should I know? It's not that I'm stalking the guys I sleep with."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Why not? Listen, do you see him somewhere? No? Then it could perhaps be possible that he's not here, okay? And can I go now? It's dangerous for a girl out in the streets that late. I could get … _attacked_ by some suspicious-looking, weapon-carrying men, you know."

_Whoa, there. Frontal attack. Damn, is she good with words. _

The man finally sighed. "Alright. Be careful." Ace couldn't believe it. Yami's tactic had really saved them?

"Woof!"

Silence.

_Crap. _

"Woof, woof!"

"What's that?" He sounded wary now.

"Well, sounds like a dog," Yami said. "Would you let me through now, I gotta go home."

"Woof!"

"That doesn't sound like a dog, more like …"

Ace had enough. Now grabbing her hand himself, he yanked her back, at the same time collecting all his powers to create a huge wall of fire that blocked the whole street.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"Run!" he yelled at Yami, who, for a change, obeyed instantly. His view became clear again, but he didn't stop to stare. Yami was already swooshing upwards, the barking bird wildly fluttering about in its cage, and he followed her example.

"GET THEM!"

One look back told him that the redhead had already jumped through the fire. Ace couldn't help it, he just had to admire him for his guts. However, his admiration ended at the point where his strange-looking, and, as he now found, _extendable_ sword burrowed into his left calf in mid-air.

"FUUUCK!" he yelped as he almost let go of the roof edge, and saw Yami stop. "RUN, DAMMIT!" he shouted through clenched teeth.

As if.

* * *

_As if!_

Yami put down the cage. Without hesitating, she rushed back to where Ace was desperately trying to pull himself up on the roof. Looking over, the first thing she saw was the gaping wound in his leg, and the whip-like sword just pulling back, which made him gasp with pain.

"BASTARD!" She had jumped before realising it. Transforming on the way down, she got practically invisible and managed to deliver a kick into the redhead's side, so hard that it sent him flying against a wall. _Must've hit his kidney_, she figured.

That was all the time she needed to rush up again, where Ace had managed to climb up in the meantime. "Fuck fuck fuuuck …" he groaned as he tried to stand up. Below them, the fire wall was still burning bright, and beside the tattooed man, nobody had dared to cross it yet. But he was already recovering from Yami's attack, and they needed to get away fast.

"Can you move?" she asked worriedly while wriggling her arm around his shoulder to support him. Her own wound piped up, and none too quietly, but she ignored it.

"It's fine, I can walk alright, you just go on and prepare the raft so that we –"

"Bullshit," she said calmly, grabbing the cage once more. "You're such an idiot. We're in this together, so let's go on together."

She could see the surprise on his face, and she had to admit that she was also a bit surprised by her own words. She hadn't thought that she would ever say such words in her whole life, she, the lone wolf par excellence.

It was all due to that warm feeling deep inside her. He had caused it with his stupid, but incredibly sweet words, showing her that he was really worrying about her, probably more than about himself. That always made her weak about him. It was perhaps totally macho of him, and that was what she hated most of all, but … it showed her that he cared, and that had nothing to do with him being macho or showing off.

"Come now, or they'll get us," she then said and started running, which wasn't easy with someone hung over her shoulder like that. They used the next smaller house to jump down, which made Ace hiss so violently that Yami bit her lip so as not to ask if he was okay, because obviously he wasn't. _That bastard_, she thought and turned to look for their pursuer. _If I catch him again I'll beat him up, for real._

When they had made it to the harbour, Yami was panting as hard as Ace. She could already see the place where they had hidden the raft, just a few hundred metres or so …

"I already figured you were pirates. Seems like I was right." They both froze as someone stepped in their way just between them and the raft. Of course it was the pineapple guy. Wasn't that just their luck.

He was holding his strange sword in attack position, ready to charge.

Yami's thoughts spun over in her head. She knew they were both too exhausted to put up that much of a fight, but they were still two versus one. Although it wouldn't take much time until his reinforcements were here. They had to do something.

"Listen up," she hissed. "I'll try to get and delay him, and then you butt in and attack. And please try not to hit me." And without further thinking, she struck out, transforming just so that he could still see her. As she had expected, he swung down his sword as soon as she was close enough, extending it so as to not let her get any closer to him.

She had waited for it. Lightning-fast, she drew her daggers, crossed them, and trapped the sword between them like she had already done in her fight with Dai. Only this time, it worked even better – the sword's hooks got wedged with the daggers, and he couldn't pull it back – at least, as far as Yami's strength was reaching. And that wasn't much at the moment. Therefore, she was just acting as a decoy.

_Now!_ she screamed in her head, and as if he had heard it, just then Ace blasted a huge fireball their way.

"Crap!" the redhead shouted, trying to release his sword to block the fire, but at the time Yami's strength left her, it was already too late. He got out of the way by letting go of the sword and rolling over the ground none too elegantly. Ace sent another fireball after him straight away, so that Yami had the time to grab the sword and throw it a few metres away.

"Go!" Ace shouted, and she only did as he said when she saw that he had the situation under control. She ran to the raft, cut the rope, and dragged it in Ace's direction as fast as she could manage. He was already running after her. She jumped onto it, trying to get into a corner so that he had enough space to land. When he jumped, she was prepared to reach out to him just in case he didn't make it with his injured leg, but he had chosen the right one for the take-off.

Which meant, he had the wrong one to land.

With a loud hissing sound, he almost collapsed on the small boat. Yami shot up to grab him by the arm, but he had already recovered.

"OOOOI!" The red-haired guy was still coming after them. He had almost reached the pier when Ace finally took action and the flames roared so high that Yami had to crawl into a corner just to not get singed.

They heard him curse as they sped up, away from him and the island.

Yami's back slumped against the mast. She was thoroughly out of breath and felt as if a huge steamroller had just run her over. Yet, she felt strangely exhilarated. They had done it – they had gotten away. She watched the island with the lonely, cursing red-haired figure slowly getting smaller.

Nobody said a thing until they were out of sight and the island was not even a small point at the horizon anymore. Yami took a deep breath – and looked at the little creature in the cage she was still clutching. Instead of sitting there, shivering with laid-back feathers, the cockatiel-something sat all puffed up and clamouring silently. Yami smiled and opened the cage door. "Hey, little one …" she muttered, slightly waving her fingers.

The bird was not intimidated at all. It hopped out of the cage and into Yami's lap, where it puffed up further, still chirping what were obviously insults at the merciless treatment. It climbed onto her hand, and she took it up at eye level to look at the feathery guy. "Aww, aren't you cute …" she purred.

The bird had nothing to say. It just bit her in the nose.

"OUCH!" she exclaimed.

"Ouch, ouch!" the bird answered, climbing back down and stretching its wings.

While Yami rubbed her aching nose, she stared at the little animal amusedly. "Guess I deserved that. But look here, it was he who mistreated you most of the time. Doesn't he deserve that too?" She reached out and sat the bird onto Ace's bare shoulder. He had sat down in the meantime, and the flames had died down, sending a warm glow over the little raft. "Come on, bite him," she told the bird, who was not impressed.

Ace snorted. "The only thing I really deserve is your complete devotion to my incredible kindness."

Yami chuckled. "You're right, too." She watched the bird climb around on Ace's shoulder and finally nibbling at a strand of dark hair. "Awww, he likes you."

He snorted again. She smiled, stretching out her hand towards the bird, who seemed to glare at her. "But seems like he doesn't like me." Pouting, she moved closer. "Come on, Neela. That's your name now, you like it?"

Her hand touched Ace's shoulder. _Warm._ Something was suddenly drawing her closer, some weird force that made her caress the skin softly. When he looked at her questioningly, her eyes met his and …

It was like a flash through her body. She could only sit and stare, and time seemed to slow down. Her view was centred on him completely.

She felt electrified. Every fibre of her body was humming a tune she couldn't understand, but she certainly knew that it was all about him, and that she wanted to touch him more.

She moved closer, watching him. The muscles below that skin shimmering with sweat in the golden light, twitching only a little. His dark hair, waving softly in the wind. His eyes, watching her. His mouth, slightly gaping, and those lips – smooth and _delicious._ She wanted to kiss them. Now.

She bent forward. Closer. He was turning towards her, inviting her.

Closer. She could feel his breath now, hard and strangely choppy. She guessed that hers was just the same.

Only inches were separating them. She could smell him, and she liked it. His luscious and tasty-looking lips were so tempting, she would just –

She jerked back, and the magical moment was over. "OUCH! OUCH, DAMMIT!"

"Ouch, ouch!"

Yami frowned at the bird still on Ace's shoulder, and rubbed her ear.

Ace snorted again, this time with laughter. "He really doesn't like you, crazy girl."

Half frowning, half pouting, Yami turned her head. Her face was burning. She grabbed her lipstick and applied it, just to have something to occupy herself with.

"But I really think you should thank me." She startled up. His face was practically – well, in her face, with a devious smirk on the lips that she had wanted to kiss just seconds ago. "I went through all that trouble for you …"

"Yeah," she whispered hoarsely. "I … I guess." She watched him for a moment, while he only smirked, and tried to figure out what the hell he wanted. As it was, it seemed as if he indeed wanted her to kiss him … but did he really? She didn't want to … scare him away or something. They had made their experiences with that, thank you very much. He had wanted to kiss her just now, hadn't he … but had he really? Or had he been on the verge of doing something he would have regretted later?

Gosh, her brain would explode like that. It was just a kiss, okay?

Okay.

She bent forward just a bit – and pecked him on the nose. "Thank you, cowboy. Really." Smiling, she pulled back. Was it just her imagination slash wishful thinking, or did he really look a bit disappointed?

Whatever.

"That … you were really sweet. I never thought …" She swallowed hard. "I never thought someone would do such a sweet thing for me. Really, thank you."

A slow smile spread on his face, and he leant back again. "No biggie. I couldn't stand you with the face you were making."

She stuck out her tongue playfully, but her heart felt as if it was about to burst. It felt … full.

Then her eyes fell upon the little pool of blood next to his left leg, and she gasped. She had almost forgotten …

Rummaging around in her rucksack, she pulled out the ointment she had just bought, together with a packet of spare bandages. "Stretch out your leg," she commanded, and he obeyed.

"But it's not a big deal, you don't have to …"

"Keep still," she ordered and carefully dabbed at the blood around the injury to clean it. Then, after she had smeared some of the ointment on the bandage, which she figured was better than putting it directly onto the wound, she placed it above the lacerated place and started wrapping it up. When she was finished, she smiled contentedly and softly caressed the skin just above the white cloth.

"Thanks," he mumbled and shifted his weight carefully, giving her a smile that made her feel like someone had just stabbed her. She was bewildered for a moment, but then just shrugged it off as nothing serious.

This day was getting stranger with every passing second. Good thing that it would be over soon.

* * *

**Author's note: **Uhh yeah, please don't hate the bird, heehee. And don't get me wrong, I'm a hopeless Renji fan and I absolutely adore him. Ace vs. Renji, that's not fair – for me, because I love both of them (I dunno how it turned out into a fight, anyway – my fingers were doing weird things again, completely on their own). But this is Ace's story, so he had to win.

_**Coming up:**_

"You ready for a question game?" – Come and find out about Yami's past. Slightly spoiler-ish about Ace's, btw, if you aren't up to date about his past.

She suddenly felt like kissing him awake, as long as she was still able to. – She does, so much can I tell you.

She didn't know why, but her chest suddenly felt tight and uncomfortable, and it wasn't because of the wound. – Yami's own sickness is starting.


	42. Question Time

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 42: Question Time**

The meat sizzled quietly on the makeshift grill, over the small fire that Ace had dared to ignite. Next to it stuck a red pepper and some mushrooms Yami had somehow organised on the last island.

They had decided to rest for the night when they found an island that was actually merely a group of trees and a bit of rocky shore. Since it was unlikely that those guys would chase them over the ocean in the middle of the night because of a bird, they thought it a small risk to stay here for them both to get some rest.

Ace sighed. He sat with his knees pulled towards his chest and his arms around them, from time to time adding some flames to the embers glowing below their meal.

"You sulking?" Yami asked from the side. She had been playing with Neela, or rather, been bitten by Neela, until she had left to look around. Now she was back, dropping next to him, which earned her a bite into her earlobe by the bird on her shoulder. "Ouch! Can you stop that!" she scolded the animal, who just looked at her indignantly.

"I'm just thinking," he responded.

"'Bout what?"

"Many things." He poked around in the fire with a stick.

"A-ha. And can you specify what 'many things' is?" She took the stick from his hand and put it away.

He frowned slightly. "Why a human being can be so annoying sometimes, for example."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I don't believe you. And Neela doesn't either, do you?" she cooed at the bird.

"Woof, woof. Ouch," he answered, and she laughed. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips – it felt kinda familiar like this.

"See?" She moved closer, until she was sitting right behind him. Before he could turn his head to eye her inquiringly, she had already put her hands on his shoulders and started kneading them.

"I don't see," he murmured, and bit back a satisfied sigh. Although her hands were cold, they felt so good. As if they belonged there.

They were both silent for a while, and he knew she was waiting. That fact alone was astonishing enough. He smiled into the fire before him. "You ready for a question game?" he then asked, and felt her hands stop for a moment.

"I … guess." He could practically hear the gears working in her head. "But I'll start."

He shrugged lightly. "Feel free."

"Okay. Umm …" She thought for a moment. "Where did you grow up?"

He almost laughed. "What?"

She slapped him mildly over the head. "Don't laugh, baka!"

He chuckled. "Alright, alright. I grew up in Foosha Village in East Blue with Luffy. Most of the time, that is."

"Why? Weren't you born there?"

"That's Question Two. You sure you want to know?"

She exhaled angrily. "Yeah, cowboy. Tell me already."

He chuckled again, which earned him another slap over the head. "Nope, I wasn't."

"And …?"

"That's the answer to your question, baa-ka," he said, turning his head to see her face. She was staring back open-mouthed and indignant, and he just had to laugh. Catching her hand that wanted to give him the third slap that day, he shook his head. "That's the way it works, sweetie."

"You …!" She huffed, pulling her hand back from his grip. "That's fucking bean counting, baka-cowboy. Kinda reminds me …"

"Of what?"

She shook her head. "Later. So tell me, where were you born? Or is it such a mystery that you don't want me to know, huh?"

He snorted. "It kinda is, but well. Garp told me it's named Baterilla, in South Blue. Content now?"

She looked doubtful. "Never heard of that …"

"Oh, how surprising! You really don't know every single freakin' island in the world? Amazing …"

"Oh, shut up." She stood up and looked at the meat over the fire. "Seems like it's good now," she remarked and took off the stick they had used to roast the food. Handing Ace his share, she sat down again. "How's your leg?"

"Much better."

She nodded, relieved. "Great. Perhaps it'll be gone tomorrow." She nibbled at a piece of mushroom. "D'you know what's next island's name?"

He shrugged. "Don't know. As long as I'll find Teach there, it could be called Wangalunga, for all that I care."

She chuckled. "You think he's there?"

"One never knows. I'm prepared. And don't you dare change the topic." He glared at her. "Three questions. My turn."

She sweatdropped. "Uhh, yeah, I guess."

He cleared his throat and lowered the drumstick in his hand. "Okay. Then, when did you become a pirate?"

"I was born a pirate."

"Hmm." He took a bite of his piece of pepper and thought for a second. Though he had already assumed her parents to have been pirates, now he had certainty. "And how did you get to your Devil Fruit?"

She seemed to become uncomfortable, evading his eyes and stroking her own arms as if she were cold. "I, uh, kinda stole it. That means, the crew stole it, and nobody had the guts to eat it. And when – uh, well. Then I ate it."

Ace didn't miss that she was evading him again. "And when – what?"

She smiled uneasily. "That's the third question, you know."

"It's not," he stated matter-of-factly. "It's part of what you originally wanted to say. You're evading my question. Partners, Yami."

"That's not …!" she flared up angrily, looked away again, biting her lip. Then she sighed. "Fine. I ate it when my parents got caught by those bastards." He knew she really didn't want to talk about it, but it was part of the deal. He wanted to know everything.

"Not that it was of any use, anyway," she added, muttering.

"Why not?" He was boring into old wounds, but he felt that he was closer to her secret than ever before.

"The effect didn't come immediately. I couldn't control it. And so I couldn't save them," she said, raising her eyes and looking straight into his. "As you can see, I'm still not over it, and you're the very first person whom I told this. So …"

"What do you take me for, baka?" he snorted, and he wasn't sure whether he had really interrupted her or if she would have stopped by herself. "If I wanted to tell anyone about you, I could've done so so many times already. Hell, I could've _killed_ you so many times already, so don't even think about taking me for such a person."

She smiled hesitantly. "How did you know what I wanted to say?"

He shrugged. "Don't ask me. Sometimes you're plain predictable."

She said nothing, but she was still smiling while silently feeding Neela with bits of roasted pepper.

When they were finished, Ace yawned and almost dislocated his jaw in doing so. "Jeez, it's at least two in the morning …" he sighed. "I'm tired as hell … and I guess we'd better raise early tomorrow. Or rather today."

Yami nodded. She was already brushing her teeth, and not soon after she lay down on her cloak as a provisional bed, after having kissed Neela goodnight (which earned her an almost-bite, yes, she was indeed teachable).

Ace, who was happy as hell that he didn't have to fight with himself in these matters anymore, just lay down next to her and moved over until he spooned her, throwing one arm over her waist and sliding the other beneath her head to create a pillow for her.

"Nani?" she asked sleepily. "Since when aren't you fussing around like usual?"

_Since I accepted that illness_, he thought.

"Since I found out that sleeping beside someone is better than alone."

"Needed damn long to find that out." She sighed and snuggled her cheek into the crook of his arm. "But who am I to complain."

"Right," he answered absentmindedly. He was momentarily governed by a rather delicious feeling throughout his body, and wondered why he hadn't ever noticed this, because it was absolutely dominant. How perfectly her body fit with his, how exquisite the sensation of her skin on his felt, how wonderful she smelt. It was just the right measure of everything – and it made the moment very, very close to perfect.

That was, until Yami snuggled her head some more, and kissed him on the arm. In this moment, his mood was catapulted up the scale until it blew off the top, and higher.

"Thank you again," she muttered quietly, "for stealing Neela for me."

He was feeling venturesome, and somehow as if he was drunk. Therefore, he nuzzled his nose into her neck, past her hair, and placed a soft kiss there himself. "Anytime." And he really, really meant it.

She giggled drowsily. "That doesn't count, just so you know …"

* * *

Yami blinked, blinded with the little light of the still rising sun. Drowsily, she tried to stretch, but felt rather confined by Ace's arm and leg wrapped around her. She carefully freed herself, then sat up and yawned. Her bones felt heavy and sore – she was becoming a little wimp from sleeping in all those beds lastly. But, thanks to a certain someone's body heat, she wasn't cold. Not the least.

Her eyes fell upon Ace, apparently still sleeping soundly. He was lying on his side with his one leg still over hers but the arm that had been around her now kinda empty-looking on the ground.

She smiled, stretching once more. His sleeping face looked so peacefully, so calm. And really cute. He indeed looked like a boy when he was sleeping, with dark lashes resting on his cheeks and freckles all around.

She suddenly felt like kissing him awake, as long as she was still able to.

Scooting over, she placed her hands on the ground to both sides of his head, just shortly noticing that the pain from her wound was almost gone. She bent down slowly, eyes on him, to place a small kiss on the tip of his nose.

Nothing happened, so she became adventurous. Her mouth trailed down the side of his nose, coming to a halt on his cheek so childishly adorned with freckles, to kiss there.

Ace sighed in his sleep.

Little kisses marked her way down to the corner of his mouth. She smiled against his skin as he stirred, carefully kissing his lips. She played with the thought of kissing down his chest and stomach, but probably that would go too far and only earn her rude refusal …

Then, suddenly, his arms shot out faster than she could watch, and wrapped around her, drawing her down. He rolled to his back, pulling her down to lie on top of him while straddling his hips, and kissed her back. And not the way she had done.

His tongue was in her mouth before she could even blink, forcing it open and pressing against her own tongue, embracing it. She gasped in surprise, the noise drowned out by a deep groan that, obviously, came from him.

Her eyes fluttered closed just as his own, and she decided that he was supposed to know what was good for him. She didn't know what had triggered his change of heart, but whatever it was, she was in for it.

And he seemed to know exactly what he wanted. His hands moved southwards, down her back and up again, beneath her shirt, then down again to grab her butt and squeeze hard. She moaned into his mouth when he pressed her down on what she now perceived was a not all too small erection in his trousers.

_Gosh, finally he's come to his senses …!_ she thought and gave herself up to him completely. His ravaging mouth on hers felt incredibly hot, and she loved the feeling of his exploring her just as he wanted. One of his hands had slipped into her hot pants, kneading her butt, and she gave a little moan just for the sense of his searing heat seeping through her – and the anticipation of the pleasures that were sure to come.

He growled lowly as he grabbed her and turned them both over, pressing her to the ground and himself to her, then one of his hands drifted under her shirt, searching for her breast.

_Yes, hell yes!_ she wanted to scream – but then the hand stopped just beneath its target.

"What are you …" _Hesitating_, she had wanted to ask, but the word got stuck in her throat when she saw the expression on his face.

Shocked. He was staring down at her, shocked, perhaps even horrified, and she couldn't do anything but stare back, breathless, questioning, confused, her arousal dying down with every moment that passed.

"I-I'm sorry," he muttered, then withdrew his hand and got off her.

She followed directly behind, absolutely not pleased about the rude interruption. "What? What the hell for?"

"I … shouldn't have done this," he mumbled on, rubbing his eyes as if tired. And realisation hit her.

"You've been _sleeping?_"

No answer.

"Oh, come on," she sighed, placing one hand on his thigh. He winced. "I don't care, as long as what follows is just as good …"

Oh, but she should've known better, shouldn't she.

"I'm sorry, Yami. But that … I can't." He evaded her eyes, looking somewhere in the opposite direction.

She slowly withdrew her hand. She didn't know why, but her chest suddenly felt tight and uncomfortable, and it wasn't because of the wound. It felt as if someone had just stabbed her. As if she didn't know what that felt like. She absentmindedly took up her hand and rubbed the place where it hurt, automatically pouting. "Well then, that doesn't count as one of the kisses you owe me. Just so you know."

He frowned. "'Course it counts."

_Oh, whatever. Fuck you._ Something snapped in her head. Okay, if he wanted. She was so, so, so tired of this shit. She shrugged. "Okay. It counts." She tried not to show any expression. He turned his head her way, but she jerked her face the other side, jumping up. "Alright. Let's get going."

She walked towards the tree where she had spotted Neela. When she was sure he couldn't see her face anymore, she bit her lip so hard it wouldn't have surprised her if it had started bleeding. When she reached out for the bird, she squeezed her eyes shut a few times – strangely enough, she felt the sudden urge to cry.

"What the hell," she growled to herself, fiercely determined to bite it back. She had never had this reaction up until now, so what the hell was that? She should have known better anyway. He had rejected her so often already, she had lost count long ago. It didn't matter, because it had never mattered.

So why the hell did she act as if it did?

"What the hell, what the hell, what the hell." Squeezing her eyes, rubbing with one hand. Refraining from stomping her feet or kicking something. But anger was better.

Yet she couldn't turn of that burning frustration within her. It felt like emptiness.

* * *

Ace was dumbfounded. Of course he had just disagreed, because that was what he always did. It was part of their little game. He had waited for her to assure him that this kiss _doesn't count blah blah_, and he would have sighed and given in, _blah blah you're so annoying_. Because that was what he always did. That was what he liked about her, about them – that they had developed their little games with each other.

But she hadn't played along today, and it disturbed him.

Oh, he could have slapped himself in the face. Many times over.

Really, how did that idea get in his – okay, scratch that. His body burned even now, burned from her touch, and from his blood racing through his body at the sensations. And his hard-on throbbed almost painfully, not at all willing to recede.

Of course he wanted her. Had wanted her all along.

But he couldn't. He really couldn't, that was what he was telling himself to keep his feet nailed to the ground so as not to jump up and run after her, to nail _her_ to the ground and resume actions from where they'd stopped. Or rather, from where _he_ had stopped. Because she had made the impression as if she hadn't minded at all …

And what was that in her face? The brief moment he had seen her expression, he'd thought it looked … hurt.

But how? There was no way, hadn't they had this so often already?

Yet, for that short moment …

He had to hammer it into his head. He couldn't sleep with her. It would be painful, he knew that. Because to him, it would take on a whole new meaning, so completely different from her own. For her, it was just fun and pleasure. And he would never be satisfied with just that. He wanted more.

Ace clenched his fists, standing up. No, until she felt just that way he couldn't sleep with her. He just couldn't.

She was coming back, the bird on her shoulder, already threateningly eyeing her earlobe. "Can we?" she asked, neither her voice nor her face expressing what she felt.

"Everything … okay?" he asked hesitantly. Damn him, he just had to mess everything up. Constantly.

"It's fine," she said with a smile, then turned towards the sea. "Let's go already."

He followed after her, relieved. She had looked hurt just then, but apparently that hadn't been the case.

_Seems like my imagination's playing tricks on me. _

* * *

_**Coming up: **_

"Oh, forget it!" she exclaimed and roughly shoved at his chest to get past him. – Major argument coming up …

She had always kept people at a distance, because this way she and her feelings were safe. – Some insights into Yami's mind.

"Oh fuck fuck fuck." She skidded to a halt just in front of the water's edge. "He can't swim!" – And Ace's in danger.


	43. Too Close

******Di**sclaimer: I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.**  
**

**Author's note: **Whew. I know that was some long time I needed there. But please, know that I'm always doing my best and if I lack inspiration – well, then I lack inspiration. And since I don't publish something I myself consider as crap, that means that sometimes I need a bit of time for writing. And please also know that asking me for new chapters doesn't change a thing. I appreciate your eagerness to read my story, I really do, but there's nothing you can do about it anyway. Just trust me – I won't stop writing this story until I can put "Complete" under it.

Besides, I just had a winning strike (against my inspiration) – and my netbook had to be set up anew, with the new chapter on it. Duh.

* * *

**Chapter 43: Too Close **

Yami listlessly chewed on a meatball. They had gotten to this island a while ago, and decided to take a meal first. Now they were sitting in a restaurant named 'Pasta Lake', with several dishes of delicious food in front of them, and Yami had no appetite at all.

Not that she wasn't hungry, no … it was a personal thing.

She still wasn't over the incident that had happened yesterday morning. How he had turned her down. It was nagging at her, not letting go, and she was unable to comprehend that kind of feeling. She had never been so disappointed, and she didn't know why.

They hadn't talked much through the whole day and night. She had sat tied up to the mast so as to make sure not to fall into the sea, refusing to try sitting on his lap, no matter how hard her seat was. She hadn't known if she could put up with another of his refusals now. And anyway, it seemed like he was kinda relieved. He hadn't even asked.

Then, when they had arrived here around noon the next day, she had been glad to finally get away from this uncomfortableness. And after their meal, she figured they could arrange to avoid each other pretty well. He wanted to get information, anyway, since this was the island Teach was supposed to be on. She was curious, too – but this was his campaign, after all, and not hers. She would support him, of course – but he hadn't asked so far.

She had to admit that she was behaving like a sulky little girl, but it was just the way she felt. She was kinda sulking, after all. You just didn't do those kinds of things, like getting a girl all hot and bothered and hopeful and aching for more, and then just coolly turning her down.

You just didn't do those kinds of things.

"Whew!" Ace sighed when he was finished eating, and patted his stomach. "I'm full."

He was acting suspiciously cheerful since they had set foot on this island. She didn't know whether he was just relieved to be rid of that nerve-wrecking silence on the raft, or whether he was looking forward to defeating Teach and return to his crew.

_Without me. _

Her head shot up. Where the hell had that come from? _Reeeaaally._

He rummaged around in his pockets, muttering "I had it … I knew I had it … ". She observed him lazily, still picking around in her noodles. Neela was doing the same – she seemed to like noodles. "Damn it!"

"What?" she finally asked, putting her fork aside.

He scratched the back of his neck. "Do you, by any chance, have any money?"

"You kiddin' me?" she mumbled, reaching into her rucksack. She frowned. It should be here somewhere … ah.

Pulling out her purse, she shook its contents onto the table.

Three coins.

"What!" she gasped. "Where's my … oh."

Well, buying food had pretty much eaten up all of their resources.

Ace raised his brows. "Don't give me that look, cowboy," she snapped. "It's not as if you'd thought about that, either."

"Let's be pirates, then," he suddenly grinned and stood up. Before she could protest, he had already snatched her hand and made a dash for the exit. All she could do was reach for Neela, who – just this once – did exactly what was requested of her and flew up towards them.

"OOOOIII!" the owner yelled after them. "OOOIII, YOU THERE!"

Outside, he led her up some stairs to a rooftop, then started running atop the town's roofs. The owner of the restaurant was following them, menacingly swinging a huge ladle, while the parrot gave upset squawks as it went after them.

"Sorry!" Ace called to the guy before jumping down a bridge. Yami followed suit and almost twisted her ankle when landing on the cobbles.

After some more running, they finally disappeared around a corner, having shaken off the chef. They were both panting hard.

"Running after eating is _hell_," Ace finally managed to say.

Yami, who was very glad she hadn't really eaten that much, let her head fall back against the wall, wincing from the punishing bites Neela was mauling her earlobe with. "Haven't done that for a while," she admitted. Usually, she _was_ paying her dinners. After stealing the money from some rich citizens, that is.

"Yeah." He played around with some fish bones he had somehow kept in his mouth, saying nothing more for a few more moments. She had the feeling that wasn't all, though – and she was right.

When she stepped forward to peer around the edge, he effectively stalled her with one hand stemmed against the wall in front of her. She looked up questioningly, and was surprised by his hard expression.

"What?" she asked, tapping her foot impatiently, but she already knew.

"That's what I should ask you," he answered. "You've been strange."

"Well, sorry for being in a bad mood," she snapped, scowling at him. She knew she was being unreasonable, but didn't that only make her mood worse.

"Why?"

"Why what, cowboy?"

He exhaled heavily. "Stubborn girl. Why are you so miffed? You've been since yesterday. Is it because of what I did? If so, I can't do more than say sorry. Which I did."

_Ah? Well, you could seduce me here and now, that you could do_, she thought involuntarily. Folding her arms in front of her chest, she turned her head away, defiantly raising her chin. "It's not," she lied. "Conceited cowboy."

* * *

She was lying, and he knew it. She couldn't even look him in the eyes.

Feeling his eyes on her, she darted a quick glance at him from the corner of her eye, then looked away again. "Not everything's about you, you know."

_Dishonest little thing. _

He decided to play along. "So what is it? There's no reason for being pissed. We're so short before catching Teach, and …"

"And then what?" she interrupted him in a seething tone, flashing her eyes.

He had to admit that it baffled him momentarily.

"Oh, forget it!" she exclaimed and roughly shoved at his chest to get past him. He complied. "I don't care anyway. I'm gonna go for a walk now. Have fun collecting information." He had the vague feeling she had almost added 'asshole' to her words.

Scratching his head, he watched as she stomped away, so hard that the bird on her shoulder gave annoyed little flutters so as not to fall off.

_What's her problem? _If he hadn't known better, he'd say she was sulking, upset from his turning her down. Or rather, turning her on and then down. Why couldn't she just admit it?

Surely, what he'd done wasn't all that better, but he'd been _asleep_, goddammit! How many times was he required to apologise before she'd let it go? And she'd lied straight to his face, too, like he was an idiot. By now, he was able to read her quite well. The little liar.

Sighing, he let his head slump against the wall, running a hand through his hair beneath the hat. He couldn't say that her behaviour didn't affect him positively, because that wouldn't be true at all. In fact, he was almost happy about it, since it seemed to mean she cared. Well, and of course it meant that she wanted him, and he hadn't noticed how badly he had needed another proof for that. After that shitty incident with the aphrodisiac, it hadn't been all that clear anymore.

On the other side, he didn't want her to feel bad. He missed her cheerful self. And when he listened closely to his instincts, they were telling him to screw reason and make her happy. Pleasure her until she begged him to stop. Preferably naked.

Yes, that was what he wanted to …

He knocked his head against the hard bricks. _Get that off your dumb mind, baka! There are important things to do!_

Like finding Teach and dragging him back to Whitebeard by his curly hair.

But … she was right, wasn't she. He hadn't thought about what would happen after he managed to find Blackbeard, effectively blocking it out because he had no idea.

Well, of course his favourite scenario was having her along to join the crew …

That was definitely something they should talk about. Especially since she seemed to feel the same way. Thinking about it made his heart beat harder – obviously, he wasn't the only one who'd be hurt when it came to parting ways. Or was that just wishful thinking again?

* * *

Yami stomped around, kicking stones out of her way.

She didn't care about where she was, or where she was going. Her face was on fire with embarrassment, and she felt loaded for bear.

Hell, what had she been thinking, blurting things out like this! She had acted like a spoilt child, that was it! And a clingy one at that. As if she was a freaking leech. Or … a betrayed lover, in some way.

She was angry at herself. She just couldn't get over yesterday morning, which was bad enough, and now this.

She had never been of the clingy kind. Not to anyone, after that failed attempt to save her parents. She had always kept people at a distance, because this way she and her feelings were safe. Then, just once, she had allowed herself to become attached to that little boy … and had ended up wasted and devastated after his meaningless death. This had just shown her once more how troublesome it was to get involved with someone. People died. People betrayed. People hurt. She was not keen on suffering all the time just because she wasn't able to protect herself properly, not at all. Therefore, while she was indeed able to be friends from a distance, keeping them at arm's length, she had avoided forming closer bonds for all this time.

And it had worked out pretty well. No relationships, no close friends. Just friendliness, meaningless sex, and departures without feeling either guilty or sad. That was what she was. That was what she wanted. And she hadn't ever felt as if she needed more.

Not until now.

She knew she was already too close to him for her own good. As past experiences had shown her, this could never end up well. Rather, if she continued like this, it would most likely earn her a broken heart and many tears, if not worse.

She was getting herself in danger here, and she was doing it in full consciousness. She should just leave here, quit the game, cut the bullshit. Take the next exit. That would be for the best, she knew that. And it would be easy: get on a ship, sail away, and spare herself the major pain that she would be in for otherwise.

She had stopped dreaming about a happy end for herself eight years ago.

Kicking another stone, she smiled bitterly. Oh, how melodramatic she could sound. And he had triggered those feelings in her - just because she couldn't have him.

_Should just go get drunk now. And get laid by some guy out there who'll lick his fingers to get them on me, unlike some other shitty bastard. Because, trust me, cowboy – there are more than enough. Way more. _

Her feet came to a halt when she heard some commotion from the distance. Weighing her curiosity against her determination to stay sulking, her curiosity finally won. She directed her steps towards the little stream that ran through the town and at whose edge a cluster of people had gathered. On her shoulder, Neela gave some croaking noises and scuttled from one side to the other. Yami tilted her head absentmindedly, and the bird nibbled at a strand of her hair.

She was just in time to become witness of a very angry mob punching a not-so-amused Portgas D. Ace into the water, with a huge guy clad in a white robe with an ID label that read 'Dr. Black Beard' leading the way.

"Oh shit," she muttered before she started to run. He'd picked the wrong guy – and now had his ass kicked, literally. She saw him sink like a stone in the stream. "That saltwater?" she asked a bystander, who nodded, taken aback.

"Oh fuck fuck fuck." She skidded to a halt just in front of the water's edge. "He can't swim!" she yelled at the people standing there, earning mildly surprised glances. "Fuck! Please save him! He'll drown!"

When nobody lifted a finger, she gave a desperate cry, running along the water. His body had already been gripped by the stream's current and was being carried further away from her. She would never have suspected the small stream to be so strong.

_Fuck!_ the voice in her head shouted at her. _He'll drown! Do something or he'll drown!_

Gritting her teeth, she sped up. Although she couldn't do anything, she had to try. Time was running up –

Just when she pondered diving into the water herself, she spotted a small wooden pier in front of a meadow – on which a girl was pulling up weeds. "HEY! HEEEEEYYY!" she shouted, wildly waving her arms. The girl turned, looking at her questioningly. "MAN OVERBOARD!" Yami continued shouting. "PLEASE SAVE HIM!"

Praying that she'd understand immediately, she transformed and jumped onto the pier. Ace's body was being dragged towards them, and as it looked, it would become entangled with one of the pier's posts. Yami whirled around towards the girl, but found her already standing right beside her. "Oh please …" she begged.

The girl flashed a smile, then lay down flat on her stomach just when Ace's body bumped into the post with a dull sound. She reached out and managed to get a hold of one of his arms, pulling up with all her strength.

Meanwhile, Yami cursed herself for her helplessness. Those wicked Devil's Fruits! She clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug deep into her palms, muttering "Please … please!" while the girl yanked at Ace's arm. When she had his head out of the river, Yami dropped to her knees next to her, reaching for his upper arm.

With united forces, the two girls were finally able to get Ace's soaked body onto the pier, splaying him there.

"He's not breathing!" Yami exclaimed and was surprised that she was sobbing. "Oh God, he's not breathing!"

"Do you know CPR?" the girl asked, her voice firm.

"Yes!"

The girl nodded. "Then please do the rescue breathing. We'll get him back."

Yami shifted towards his face, tilting it to the right angle. He was pale, incredibly so, and had his eyes closed. The sight was frightening. Her heart doubled over in alarm as she ran a shaking hand over his cheek. He looked just like a corpse …

"Now!"

She dove down, pinching his nose closed and pressing her opened mouth on his, breathing hard to push air into his lungs. When she had to pause again, she gave him frantic little slaps on his cold cheeks. "Come on, come on cowboy … you won't die on me, you won't …"

It started to rain, but she didn't care. The drops dripped down onto his face while the girl pumped down on his chest with all her strength, making his motionless body jerk.

"Come on! Cowboy, don't die! Don't …" Her voice broke. Once again she started breathing for him, refusing to give up.

* * *

Ace blinked slowly. All he could see was in a blur, and yet he heard her.

"Don't die!"

_I'm not_, he wanted to tell her, but he couldn't even open his mouth, let alone move his tongue.

Then, that feeling again … _Is she kissing me?_ he wondered. _Am I dreaming?_

He felt hot drops of water on his face. _Don't cry …_ was all he could think before the darkness overwhelmed him again.

* * *

"Wake up, wake the fuck up!" she whispered. The girl was already panting hard. "Let me take over …" she said, motioning to her to get away, just when she felt his body tense under the hand she had placed on his collarbone. She jerked back.

He gave a gargling noise, and they hurried to turn him over on the side so that he could cough up the water in his lungs. And, thankfully, he did.

Yami released a breath she hadn't known she was holding, softly sweeping hair out of his face. She couldn't stop staring, couldn't stop touching him. Her hands ran along his arm onto his torso, caressing, rubbing his cold chest.

"Phew," the girl sighed, running the back of her hand over her forehead. Yami glanced up to her.

"Thank you," she whispered hoarsely, her voice thick with emotion. "Thank you so much."

The girl just waved it off. "Glad to help."

When he'd finished coughing, Yami turned him to his back again. He still had his eyes closed but was now breathing shallowly. As she watched, the colour came back to his skin.

She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then took up her hand to wipe her face, finding with surprise that she was crying.

Exhaling slowly, she placed her hand on his forehead.

_Thank you, cowboy. _

* * *

**Author's note:** Yup, we're now at the little extra chapters in the manga (starts on front page of chapter 272). I loved to read about him, and since it's canon, it must be included here.

_**Coming up:**_

He never heard her threat. Before she could finish her sentence, he had already grabbed her by the shoulders, yanking her towards him onto the bed. – yummy scene!

She cursed her weak, mushy heart for seeking that fatal closeness over and over again. – Yami's talking feelings – finally!

"Because I don't share, you know? If you choose me, it'll be me and nobody else. Since you can't do that – sorry, baby." – And Ace too! Gosh what am I doing, such a sentimental chapter^^


	44. Pained

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 44: Pained**

Ace awoke to a stinging pain in his chest. As soon as he was conscious enough to notice it, he realised that every breath he took meant pain. His mouth felt like a dry sponge, his throat like sandpaper, and his lungs like they were burning. A curious association, though, since he never felt the burn of fire like normal people.

When he acted like any just awaking person did – blinking his eyes open –, he was grateful for the dimness of his surroundings, which he soon managed to identify as a room he didn't recognise. It didn't look like a hotel room but a person's small home, with the neatly arranged chairs decorated with red-and-white-chequered seat cushions and little red ribbons, the flowers in the vase on the table, and the colourful curtains darkening the windows, defying sunlight but for a few single rays of light that had managed to invade the room despite the cloth.

_Where the heck am I?_

He then noticed the small weight on his right leg, which appeared to be Yami, fast asleep, lying on the blanket that had been spread out over him, her head cradled in her crossed arms. Surprised, he managed to get himself up a bit, propping his upper body up on his elbows.

What was she doing? And where were they? How did they get here? And why was he lying in a bed, while she sat on a chair, which didn't look all too comfortable?

His mind was just one great blank sheet. He couldn't remember anything at all. There had to be something that had happened for him to end up here, right?

He briefly considered waking her, but since she was sleeping so peacefully, he thought he could just as well leave her be. Their surroundings didn't seem to mean any danger, especially since she had allowed herself to sleep. So he carefully tried to sit up, cursing the searing pain in his chest, making his breathing hard and his throat feel like sandpaper. As the blanket fell back, he discovered that he was naked – apart from his usual bare-chestedness, someone had removed his pants as well as his boots, hat and necklace. A quick sideways glance told him that his items had been neatly placed on the bedside table.

He looked back towards Yami. Her doing? What to make of it? He scratched his head in bewilderment, frowning. Again he pondered waking her up, impatience quickly becoming the better of him.

However, she relieved him of this decision by waking up by herself. Giving a little sleepy moan, she nuzzled her head further into the blanket (and his leg) before moving her arms and blinking a few times. Then she shot up straight, so sudden that he jerked back, and stared at him. However, the tension in her body was released the moment she seemed to realise that he was up and awake.

"Ooh, thank fuck," she breathed, sighing in relief.

"Whassup?" he tried to ask, but it came out as a croak, hurting like hell. He coughed a few times, which hurt even more, and hit his chest with his hand, as if it helped freeing him from the pain.

"You almost died, you bastard, that's up." She was still staring, a harsh line around her mouth he had never thought her face capable of. But her eyes held a lot more feelings. He opened his mouth to say something when he noticed how red her eyes were. _Has she been … crying?_ That shocked him, since he had never seen her cry.

"How?" he croaked.

She sighed, finally turning away from him, and rubbed her eyes. "Almost drowned there. Made some village people really angry. Bastard."

"Oh." Drowned, then. Explained a lot. "Saved me?"

She hmph-ed, placing her head in her hands. "As if. I couldn't even get you out of the fucking water. That girl did all the work. I couldn't do a damn thing."

"Girl?" He eyed her warily. She was hiding her face, and her voice sounded strange just now.

"Name's Mouda. We're in her house. She pulled you out of that stream when I couldn't. She did the CPR."

Now that she said it, hadn't he had some kind of memory of that? He had thought it a dream, but … "You kissed me?"

"That was rescue breathing, you dumbass!" She yanked her head up, glaring at him. Her eyes were shining with tears threatening to spill out.

"Hey," he said softly. "You were worried?"

"Worried!" she exclaimed. "Worried! I was worried sick as fuck! Fuckdammit, you had me worried like fucking crazy!" The tears started running down her cheeks, and a sob broke from her chest.

"I'm sorry." Ace took up a hand to wipe the tears away, but she shook her head furiously.

"Don't you dare doing that again! If you died, I don't know what I … I would've … I couldn't …" Her voice broke, and she fiercely wiped her face at her sleeve.

"Oi. Oi!" He caught her wrist, preventing her from rubbing her eyes even more sore. "Listen, you," he said, looking at her. "I don't die from something like that, okay? I don't."

"Yeah, try telling me that the next time you're looking like a fucking corpse, cowboy! You dare doing that again and I'll …"

He never heard her threat. Before she could finish her sentence, he had already grabbed her by the shoulders, yanking her towards him onto the bed. Before she could even start to struggle, he had already taken her lips in a hard kiss. Using her current confusion, he slid his tongue into her mouth, licking and teasing her own until she responded. When she did, he felt her hands go up to his head, roughly grabbing his neck and hair as if for support while adjusting her legs so that she was straddling him. She gave a delicious little moan that resounded in their combined mouths, letting him feel it. He threaded his arms around her waist, holding her close, deciding not to let go ever again.

It was Yami who finally broke the kiss, bringing her face a few inches apart from his and looking at him from heavy-lidded eyes he fell for right again in this very moment. She was breathing hard, and so was he. It would have been so easy now, everything. She was here, and she was here for him, for the taking. Her face so prettily flushed, her lips looking that luscious way freshly kissed lips look like, he could decide to take her right here, right now. He wanted her, because he always did, and the painfully throbbing erection under the blanket told him the same. Surely she must have noticed. He was hard for her, for the person who had saved his life. Shouldn't he reward her a little?

"What's that for?" she asked, sounding breathless, and broke the magical moment.

"Reward," he answered. "And replacement. Because the last one did _not_ count."

She seemed surprised. "Okay?"

Hmm, he wanted to kiss her again. No matter how much his lungs were hurting, the warmth spreading in his chest with her touches was compensating for so much of it. And as to his cock, it was aching for her. To be touched by her, in whatever way.

Once again, it was she who broke away first. Disentangling their bodies, she slipped back onto her chair, driving one hand through her red strands. "I should tell Mouda that you're up. She was very worried."

He tried to ignore the flash of disappointment that shot through him. "Alright. I'll try to get up and put on some clothes."

* * *

_I couldn't bear it. _

The words were in her head and screaming at her with a voice of their own. Since the moment she had realised what she had been about to say, they had been in her head, shouting so loud.

_I couldn't bear it. If he died, I couldn't bear it. _

She knew it was true. That moment, if he had died, she could just as well have died herself there. It was like all those years ago, all over again. She had seen so many people die. Lost so many people that mattered.

_He matters. _

The thought scared the living daylights out of her. She had made a promise that day, a promise that she thought she'd never dare to break, because so much depended on it. _She_ depended on it, and wasn't that enough?

_I couldn't bear it. _

After telling Mouda the news, she excused herself. She needed to be alone now, desperately so. Although Neela flew off a branch and onto her shoulder, she didn't care because the bird was okay. Wandering through streets and fields, she finally found herself on a high cliff, with a tree shadowing the only grassy spot around. She sat down, watching sunset but at the same time not watching but staring into space, occupied with the battle that took place inside her.

Because of her foolishness, now all she had was her feelings – and a broken promise. _Partners_ he had called them. Partners. She should have known better, shouldn't she?

It all was clear to her now. She had wanted to be with him since the beginning, and had masked her wishes with the desire to _have_ him, mainly before herself. Because admitting it was just out of the question.

If he had died, another part of her would have disappeared, just like the other times. Years ago she had wondered whether someday, there wouldn't be anything left of her at all, because all the parts kept breaking away, slipping out of her reach, and disappearing forever. That promise she had made, the promise never to get close to anyone ever again, was worthless now. She had broken her own promise. How pitiful.

She cursed her weak, mushy heart for seeking that fatal closeness over and over again. It was as if it longed for death itself, that treacherous heart of hers. Must be a masochist.

She was too close to him already. The damage was done, and she feared it was irreparable. There was nothing she could do now. She couldn't run, because she had promised him, and she wanted to at least keep one promise in her life. She didn't think she was capable to do it anyway. But she knew that staying was just as bad. Her desire for him was there as well, and it grew stronger with every day, with every kiss, with every almost-sex situation.

Neela hopped from her shoulder to the ground, and Yami absentmindedly pulled an apple out of her pocket. She halved it with her dagger before halving one half again and offering both to the bird, who was already scuttling to and fro with excitement and took the fruit with one of its claws. Yami smiled weakly as she watched her eat.

Now, if she couldn't run and she couldn't stay … what else was left? She didn't know.

After the sun had finally set, Yami still hadn't decided. Therefore, she spontaneously concluded that she should get drunk and stop worrying for once. The whole thing had worn her out more than she wanted to admit, and she needed a drink. Or two. Or a truckload.

And sex, maybe. Yes, that could be it. She hadn't had sex for almost two weeks, which was way too long. It was hardly surprising that she longed for cowboy in that situation, wasn't it. In fact, it was just as possible that she had mistaken her hunger for sex in general for hunger for him. Yes, that was quite plausible. And she would change it now.

* * *

When she wasn't back after two hours, Ace started to wonder where she could be and whether he should search for her. The sun had gone down in the meantime.

After this really nice girl had given him a mixture of soothing herbs for his throat and a bit of milk to drink, they had talked for a bit – well, she had done the talking and he had croaked something from time to time.

It had become apparent that Mouda's parents were the chiefs of the Marine's Second Division, and she, who saw them less than often, wanted to give them a letter but didn't know how to get it to them. Seeing as she had saved his life, he was more than willing to do her that favour, even if it meant entering a Marine base – being a pirate. But he was confident that he could manage.

It was now more than four hours after Yami had left, and despite being absolutely non-worried about her safety, he wanted to look for her. This was unusual for her. He had noticed she had been upset, and perhaps she just needed some time to think, but he just couldn't cast off the thought that she was planning to go without him once again. She was too sensitive and unpredictable in that respect.

Therefore he set off for the town centre when it was dark. He didn't really know where to look, but as he had done last time, he started looking for her in the bars, and already the first one hit the bull's eye. He found her sitting in a corner, slumped over the table, with a plethora of empty glasses and flasks all around her and Neela sitting on the table, holding a piece of apple in her claw. Sighing, he made his way to her.

"Oi, crazy girl," he greeted and hit her back. She heaved her head up with what looked like an enormous effort, and stared at him, her eyes trying to focus.

"Yo … cowboy. There you are," she slurred. The bird on the table looked at him from the side.

_Jeez_, he sighed inwardly. _This is worse than I thought_. Out loud, he said, "Come on, we're going. You've had enough."

"You …" She stood up so suddenly that her chair toppled over with a thump no one noticed because the bar was crowded and loud. Standing on unsteady legs, her eyes focusing and unfocusing, trying to get a hold on his face, she grabbed for his collar but, as the buttons of the shirt he had donned just this once were undone, found none, so that her hand just uselessly scraped over his collarbone. "You," she repeated under his bewildered gaze, and he had to grab her by the arm so as to prevent her from falling over, "I'vehad enough'f ya."

He raised his brows. "Is that so?"

She nodded vigorously, and he had to hold her steady again. "I just had sex."

That was like a shot straight into his heart, but he clenched his teeth and tried to ignore it. "And why exactly should I care?" he growled.

She blinked. "Because 'twas horrible."

He frowned, trying to follow her logic. He couldn't help but feel a malicious touch of glee at her words. _You betcha it's bad. Now you hope you'll never have sex again with anyone that's not me._ "And that affects me because …?"

"'cause I decided! I decided t'sleep with ya."

Ace took a deep breath. Really, she was wearing him out. Drunk people just shouldn't be listened to. Saved a lot of nerves.

"I'll sleep withya, 'cause I wantya, and today wasn't fun, and I can't have fun before I slept withya. Then I'll be free. Free!"

"Your reasoning sucks," he told her, cursing his heart for beating faster, filled with hope. "And who says I'll do it, huh? Because I won't."

"Liar," she giggled. "I'll seduce ya. That's whatI'll do."

"You can't." He knew he was being serious with a drunk, but all the better – not like she'd remember any of this clearly. "Because I don't share, you know? If you choose me, it'll be me and nobody else. Since you can't do that – sorry, baby."

Now she frowned, which looked kinda cute, since she tried to pout at the same time. "But! I can do 'at!"

"Prove it."

"Alright!" She pumped her fist in the air, stumbling from the movement.

How he wished she was being serious. But she was just drunk, and anyway, how endlessly romantic it was to sleep with someone just to get rid of your desire to sleep with that person – and move on to other people to sleep with.

For now he would try not to nourish any hope, and get this little drunk to a hotel.

On their way, he barely managed to jump aside without having her fall as she almost heaved up on his boots. He helped her clean her face, and got her into a hotel room with just the pitying glances of the receptionist.

In the room, he dragged her into the bathroom, roughly washing her body since he couldn't stand her smelling like sex with another guy when lying next to him. When he had her in bed, he stood for a moment, watching her. She had fallen asleep the moment her body had touched the bed, her hair like dark red waves on the white pillow in the dull light of a yellow lamp.

Everything could be so easy without feelings, he mused. He wanted to be her only one, which he would probably never be. He wanted her to care only for him – well, at least he'd gotten her to care for him at all. And since she was already lusting for him, he had that problem solved, too.

She had said that sleeping with whomever had been horrible. Well, he certainly hoped so. That was what she got when casting him aside. He had never been the jealous type – damn, how could he, when he himself had a girl in every port –, but she seemed to make him thus. And he didn't like that at all. But how could he not, when the girl he loved constantly fucked other guys?

He sighed deeply before kicking off his boots and climbing into bed next to her, refusing to embrace her in any way. Lying on his back, his arms crossed, he stared at the ceiling, his brain wildly imagining all the ways and positions she could have had today with a man that was not him.

However, he couldn't keep that up for long. Her closeness was too enticing to ignore, and he should at least savour the moments when he had her all to himself. Before she met another sex buddy and the whole thing started over once again, just the same.

She sighed in her sleep as he snuggled up behind her and drew her in his arms. He couldn't say he didn't feel bad for thinking this way about her when she was the one that had saved him just this day.

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair. They smelled like hotel shampoo, and like her. So he held her until morning came, and the next guy that crossed her way.

* * *

**Author's note:** Sorry for the kinda depressing end here.

_**Coming up:**_

"A Marine base! A freaking _Marine base_!" – She's furious …

"What happened with you and that Marine base six years ago?" – and more of her past is revealed.

"I'll pay you back later," she murmured at his throat, drawing kisses, leaving a line of red colour and fire. "I'll pay you back … and again … and again … as often as you like." – gettin' yummy again!


	45. A Whole New World

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.**  
**

**Author's note: **See chapter 35 again if you want to see what I'm referring to later on.

* * *

**Chapter 45: A Whole New World**

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?"

Ace just calmly took a sip from his orange juice, and bore his dark eyes into hers.

"That … you can't be serious!" Yami drove her hand through her just-combed hair, shaking her head in disbelief. They were just having breakfast – well, hangover breakfast for her – when he had dropped a bombshell. "A Marine base! A freaking _Marine base_!" She was standing at the table, with her toppled chair lying on the floor behind her.

He shrugged, as if suggesting the most natural thing in the world. "I'll just go in, get the letter delivered, and out again. Finished."

"I'll tell you who's finished! You'll be! You just don't _go in_ a Marine base!" She took a deep breath, continuing to shake her head, and let it out again, immediately taking the next. She was short before hyperventilating. "Are you crazy or what!" she kept scolding Ace.

"I promised. She saved my life, you hear. I owe her something. And I'd never force you into that. I'll go alone if you don't want." He somehow, magically, managed to remain calm while watching her flipping out, drawing attention from the other patrons.

"Hell yeah you won't force me! Because you fucking _couldn't_!" Yami clutched her head, her headache intensifying greatly. "You're a _pirate_!" she hissed. "And you seriously tell me you want to pay a fucking visit to a fucking Marine base?"

"I know I'm a pirate, thank you very much."

"Ugh!" she exclaimed, turning on her heel. "You're not listening!" Preparing for storming out of the place, she took a step and met resistance. He had somehow stood up and planted himself in front of her, effectively disturbing her departure.

"Hey," he said soothingly, grabbing her shoulders. She looked up at him furiously. "I know you're angry. You don't need to come with me. Just wait for me here. I'll be back."

She felt tears of anger rise into her eyes, something she hadn't felt for quite a while. In general, she seemed to be a little crybaby as of late. She cursed them, highly embarrassed, but didn't look away. "Are you stupid?" she said. "I need to make sure you'll return in one piece, cowboy!"

He smiled at her answer, but shook his head slowly. "Really, you don't need to come with me. It's just something I've gotta do."

She frowned, trying to stare him down. It didn't work. "Of course I'll come with you. Partners, aren't we?" she finally pouted, shaking his hands off her and walking out of the door. Neela hurried to fly after her, settling on her shoulder before the door closed behind her.

A Marine base. _Of course_ it had to be a Marine base. The Marine's Second Division Base, to be exact. And he wanted to _just go in there_ to deliver a letter. As if there weren't any such things called 'postal ships'! No, he had to do it _personally_. Really, cowboy had grown megalomaniac somewhere in the last few hours.

"I'm glad, but you don't seem like you really want to." He was keeping step next to her, hands in his pockets.

"Ah, and can you blame me, cowboy? Tsk." She shook her fist at him. "We're two pirates, goddammit! Marine bases and pirates just doesn't fit! And I hate them! I hate the whole damn lot! I want to wipe them out, exterminate them, kill them off! Crush them under my feet like cockroaches! Stab a dagger into their malicious little hearts, personally!" She was breathing heavily, her face reddened from her anger. Ace cocked his head, watching her fuming.

"I see you got some issues there …"

"Issues!" she snorted. "Damn right I got issues!"

"… but as I said, you don't have to …"

"Stop your crap right here! I already said I'm coming!" She stopped abruptly and grabbed for his upper arm, keeping him with her piercing glare. "But you see," she said, slowly and clearly, "this is no easygoing stroll for me. This is my own personal hell. The absolute worst thing ever. If it weren't for you, I'd never even dream about something as this. Except in nightmares."

He looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I think it's time for another question session, shadow girl."

* * *

Her lips were one hard line. She didn't look happy at all.

"I get that you don't want to talk about this, but if we're doing it, I need to know." He wouldn't budge. That was the deal. She had let herself in for that deal.

"Fine," she finally snapped. "There's some things I gotta tell you anyway."

As they searched for a place to talk untroubledly and without being overheard, they found a place at the rocky part of the shore. Yami dropped down onto a large, sun-warmed boulder and kicked her boots off, while Neela flew off to a tree in the vicinity and started to clean herself.

"Talk first or question first?" Ace asked as he leant against a rock, his arms crossed.

She sighed heavily and waved her hand dismissively. "Fire away. Let's get this over with."

"What happened with you and that Marine base six years ago?"

She sighed once more, and he could see her fighting the urge to coil up like a baby on that rock, hugging her knees to her chest. Finally, she won, leaning back and propping herself up on her hands behind her.

He knew it hurt her to tell him anything, but he really needed to know if he hoped to be able to understand just a tiny little part of her one day.

"This'll be worth three questions back, cowboy. Just so you know. Well, as I've told you, they captured my parents. I went after them. I was eleven and had just eaten that Devil Fruit, but it hadn't started to take effect right away. So I sailed after them to Mahogany Island, hoping to save them." She gave a dry laugh. "Yeah, things a child dreams about. Reality was, I was merely able to push through the crowd, screaming. My mother looked me in the eyes from the pedestal. I'll never forget that look." Another laugh that wasn't really one. "Sure she hadn't expected me to do such a foolish thing. But who was she to complain? She'd done the same for my father. That's why she was there in the first place, and my father was already dead, with his head sticking on a pole somewhere on the wall over there." She took a deep breath. "Anyway. I was there, screaming, and down went the blade, and my mother's head. There was blood on me, I think, or maybe it was just my imagination. The point is, my glorious plan of bursting in there with my new Devil Fruit abilities, saving everyone, was just a glorious failure. They recognised me because of the hair colour and took me into 'custody', because surely they just couldn't have a dangerous, bloodthirsty, eleven-year-old pirate like me run around there," she scoffed.

Ace felt his chest constricting, and not because of the accident the day before. He had the irrational wish to have been there, to have been able to save her from all that stuff.

"I was in their prison for two years. I guess the only reason I'm still alive is that they were afraid of the big fuss the people could make over an eleven-year-old being beheaded. They were probably keeping me until I looked older before they dared to kill me. Two years, in a dark, dirty prison cell full of rats and the excrements of people long-gone, with just so much food to not have me starve. I don't know why they did it. They could've had me starve and nobody'd ever heard of it, but I guess they wanted to run a fully-fledged execution for me. Lucky me."

He wanted to put his arms around her, draw her to him, and embrace her until she felt no more pain over her words. Picturing a little, nearly starved red-haired girl in a cell made him clench his teeth so as not to roar with anger.

"I'd noticed by then what my abilities were. Of course I was happy to have become a logia, that made me able to escape, finally. But I had a long way to go. I could've escaped after the first week, but it's funny – I didn't dare to. So I stayed there, playing with my powers, nurturing them, experimenting with them. Until one day –" she shrugged, "I exploded and took that cursed Marine base with me. That's all." She continued staring out at the sea, like she had done while telling her story. The wind reached for her hair and swirled them around her head. She made no move to get them out of her face.

Ace didn't know what to say. He roamed his head for words, but all he could think of was, "What made you escape in the end?"

She snorted, still staring out at the sea. "Oh yeah, that's where the fun starts." Of course she didn't laugh. "You see, one of the guards all of a sudden thought that thirteen means you're sexually mature."

Heat and cold changed wildly in his body, and he made an effort not to growl like a raging dog. "He …?" He didn't dare voicing it. As if not doing it made it better, somehow.

"Oh, no. Because I appeared to be the stronger one of us." She turned her head to him for the first time since this conversation had started, and her eyes were filled with malicious glee. "I shot him with his own rifle. One of those nice long rifles they always carry with them. You know what their favourite activity was, with their rifles?" She didn't seem to expect him to answer as she was looking out at the sea again, so he didn't. "Putting it into prisoner's mouths and watch them shit their pants with terror. That's what they did." She made a noise that didn't even pass for the shadow of a snicker. "I took his rifle, and put it into his mouth, and watched him shit his pants. And then I pulled the trigger. For real."

Ace swallowed hard. She, sitting here, telling him all these horrifying things … he felt like this was the first time he got to know the real person, not the mask she always donned. But at the same time, he knew he was being cruel. Perhaps this was the ugly part of her, raised by men who should know better but didn't, buried and grown over by her beautiful self like flower tendrils with the years that had passed.

And he got to know why she didn't want to be reminded of that part of her history and didn't want to tell. He knew, because he was the same.

"After that, I went up and, well, went through them. They fell like felled trees. Nobody saw me. Not my face, anyway, because somehow they managed to get my hair on that damned wanted poster." She took a deep breath, then went silent.

Ace's mouth was a hard line. That wasn't something easy to stomach. He'd somehow suspected that something bad had happened to her somewhere in the past, but that … oh, he could understand why she wasn't really fond of Marines, alright.

"I'm glad you told me," he finally said. _And if you hadn't killed them already, I'd sail back and do that for the things they did to you._ Gosh, was he sounding cheesy. But it was true. The gall that had risen up made his mouth taste horrible. He thought about how good it was that no Marine was suddenly showing up here. Good for them.

Yami took another breath, then blinked at him. "I'm also. It feels better now." She even tried a tentative smile. "Be proud. You're the first person in the whole wide world to hear this, cowboy."

Oh, he was. But it was a grim pride, and it came with a certain bitterness.

She rose from her seat on the boulder and left her boots to climb barefoot over the rock-littered shore. Ace hesitantly followed her and watched as she buried her feet in the pebbles just before the water's edge. He knew he should search his mind for something to say, something _right_, but somehow it felt as if that wasn't needed. She seemed at ease, playing with her feet in the pebbles, shuddering as a particularly daring wave reached her.

He smiled. She was like a little child sometimes. That could be annoying, for sure, but right now it felt strangely refreshing.

"So, it's my turn now, cowboy," she finally said, turning to grin at him, and for a moment, he thought that her face, framed by her waving hair and warmly lit by the sun, was truly a sight to behold. He wished to be a painter, so that he could pin that moment down forever.

... And he was being cheesy again.

"Three questions. At least. And don't you dare nit-picking on me again, got it?"

"Ask me." After her revelation, he was ready to tell her anything.

"Alright ..." she muttered, biting her lip in thought. "Then. Why do you and Luffy have different surnames?"

He gave an incredulous laugh. "What, you can ask anything and settle for _that_?"

She pouted at him. "Well, that's what I want to know, so tell me. Do you guys got different fathers, or what?"

"Yeah. And different mothers, too."

Her eyes went round. "But you're brothers, aren't you?"

Ace smiled. "We're brothers, but we're not blood-related. Doesn't change the fact that he's nearer to me than any blood-relative could probably be, though."

"Oh." She stared out at the sea again. "Must be great, having somebody like that."

"I guess."

"Better than a brother who doesn't give a shit about you."

She sounded as if speaking from experience. "You have siblings? Didn't know that. What happened to them?"

"I have a brother, and he's much older than I am. Nineteen years, to be exact. So he's 38 at the moment. He left my parents' ship and crew before my birth. I know where he is, but I have no desire to see him. That bastard."

"Why didn't he ... prevent all that?" he asked carefully.

Yami shrugged. "Don't ask me, ask him. You've had enough chances."

Ace frowned, but when he opened his mouth to inquire further, she suddenly shook her head. "It's not about me. Damn you, I've answered two questions again. I can ask you four more now."

He sighed. "Do that."

"How many women have you had?"

He was taken aback by her sudden change of topic. "How should I answer that? It's not as if I've kept a list or something."

She chuckled. "Oh, great to hear. But do keep a list, makes me the leader." She stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

_As if I'd have to be reminded of that. _"Let it suffice that there were many," he answered, unable to keep the pride out of his voice.

"Doubtless." She was mocking him, wasn't she?

Pulling her feet out of the water-soaked pebbles, she turned and came strolling towards him, her face all feline predator, and he frowned anew. What did she want this time?

She came so close that their bodies almost touched, and his breath hitched for a second as she smiled up at him. Raising her hand, she placed it on his chest, tracing the outline. He made an effort not to close his eyes and sigh in satisfaction. Instead, he forced his brow to remain in a frown as he gazed down at her.

"Let me be next," she whispered, her voice hoarse.

_Hell yeah. _

"Hell no."

"Why not? I'll keep last night's promise ..."

_So she does remember, huh?_ If she remembered this, then she must also remember his condition. _Be mine – and only mine. Or else get away from me. _That in itself was a love declaration already. He withstood the urge to bury his head in the pebbles in embarrassment, reminding himself that he was no twelve-year-old schoolboy.

"I don't believe you can. In fact, I don't believe you're actually physically able to do that," he snorted instead, catching the gleam in her bright eyes. She seemed amused.

"Oh, I am, or rather, I will be if you make sure to satisfy me, physically …" She purred, all kitten-like. "I saw that your kissing has improved … let me see what else." Her hand was drawing lazy circles on his chest, occasionally brushing one of his nipples. He barely suppressed a shudder, ignoring the beginnings of a wonderfully healthy erection.

"Yeah, right. That's like asking a merchant to give you his goods in advance, promising to pay him a week later."

"But I'll do exactly that," she said with her mesmerising smile, and lowered her head to place a soft kiss on his collarbone. It felt hot as fire – surprising for him, the fire user. "I'll pay you back later," she murmured at his throat, drawing kisses, leaving a line of red colour and fire. "I'll pay you back … and again … and again … as often as you like."

He swallowed hard, and his erection jumped excitedly in anticipation. It was just too promising … it wasn't as if he'd suffer from that deal … on the contrary, he'd profit immensely … he could trust her to keep a promise, couldn't he … she'd stay here, after all, here with him …

_No. Stay hard._ He mentally scoffed at how ambiguous the statement was. Yup, hard he was, in more than one way. "How naïve do you think I am? Just yesterday you were all 'I'm gonna seduce you so I can fuck other people again'. What about that, huh?" He would truly be naïve if he let himself in for this.

Pressing a kiss on his jaw, she chuckled. "Then just make it so great that I don't wanna go anywhere else anymore."

_Yeah, exactly what I'm saying. And absolutely no pressure involved._ He took her by the elbows, guiding her to stand further away from him. But God, how prettily flushed her face was … Again he found himself mesmerised by that mouth of hers. "No," he managed to say, and shook his head to get it clear. "No, you have to prove it first."

He watched as frustration crept onto her face, and she took her hands away. "Fine," she said brusquely, and turned away, starting towards the direction of the town. He sighed, walking after her and somehow feeling like a beaten dog.

He saw her rummaging around in her bag while walking, until she finally took something out, stopped so he almost ran into her, and shoved it at him. "Here," she said. "Keep that."

It was a book. A plain black book that had "HAKI" written in golden letters over the front. He'd suspected her to still have it, but …

"For me?"

"No, for the other stupid ugly cowboy-hat wearing guy behind me. Baka."

He rolled his eyes, but took it nonetheless. She was full of surprises.

"You take it and study. I don't want you to walk into a Marine base without having done your homework."

Oh, how cute she was. _Actually worried about me._

"Thanks," he smiled, carefully putting it into his rucksack.

She just shrugged. "I know it inside out anyway."

_Yeah, right. _"So that's what you wanted to tell me?" he asked.

"Ah!" she suddenly exclaimed, face-palming. "I forgot that again!"

He frowned mildly, watching her turn fully towards him and positioning herself as if for combat. "What, wanna fight?"

"No, just try something. Keep still." She closed her eyes, concentrating. Those eerie tattoos appeared all over her face, pale at first, but increasing their intensity until they almost shone darkly.

Nothing happened.

"What are you –"

"Shhh!"

He raised his brows, watching her sceptically as she tried whatever it was.

* * *

_Damn it!_

She tried it, again and again, but futilely. Nothing happened, and she really couldn't recall what she'd done last time to trigger it. She remembered the moment, but she didn't recall what had happened before.

Fear, probably. Mortal fear. And anger. Had it something to do with her feelings? What had she done? She'd acted totally on impulse, desperate as she had been. Clearly it had been an accident that time, but how to repeat it?

Had she done something with her hands? With her feet? With her eyes? _Oh, damn it._

She remembered how he had gripped her by the throat, ready to suffocate her. She remembered how she'd hated the thought of dying then and there, with Dai's face before her and their shadows intertwined like the shadows of lovers.

_I was thinking of that guy, that shichibukai. With the ability to control people by cutting off their shadows._

"Mingle shadows, mortal fear … anger …" she mumbled and blinked her eyes open. Something had to be it, the solution. Ignoring Ace's questioning look, she grabbed him by the shoulders, turning him so that their shadows in the late midday sun became one.

_Cut off shadows. No. I wished I could do that as well. Ripping it off. _

"Rip it off." She stared at their shadow, trying to get a hold. She started to pull at it, but nothing changed. _Damn, I was so sure …_

He had been touching her. Was that what was missing? She grabbed his shoulders again, continuing to pull, and when she felt the invisible force tugging at her, she gasped triumphantly. Blackness was around her, and she greeted it like an old friend.

As they were spat out onto the earthy ground, somewhere in the darkness, she was prepared. Ace barely managed to keep standing, holding his head. "What the hell!"

"Whooo!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight. "I figured it out!"

"What the hell!" he huffed again, scowling at her. "Would you be so kind as to explain what the fuck has just happened?"

"That's what I wanted to talk about," she said, scanning her surroundings. It was as black as before. "I found this out when I fought with Dai. He almost had me strangled, and by a joyous coincidence I discovered this here. This … thing here saved my gracious ass."

"Joyous coincidence," he repeated, incredulously shaking his head. "You didn't tell me about that!"

She shrugged. "Didn't find the time." This time, with no enemy here, she could start to investigate. Her heart beat faster in pleasant anticipation. _Oh, this is so great._

"So now you tell me you didn't have the time to inform me about the fact that you almost died? Is that it?"

She looked up at him, and was surprised upon seeing rage in his face, his eyes blazing with passion. "I'm … sorry?" she automatically said, almost recoiling before him. _What have I done this time?_

He stared at her before finally covering his eyes with a hand. "Jeez, girl. Some stunner you are."

She grinned. "Yup, that's who I am." When he smiled, she was relieved.

"I'll never let you fight again, you hear."

She snorted. "Yeah, just try stopping me, Mr Macho."

"But you said you almost died. Just thinking about it makes me angry. If you weren't so weak, it'd be easier for me not to worry."

She saw his sardonic grin, and decided to show him who was ruling here. "Shut up," she said with a smug little smile, and enjoyed the sound of his mouth snapping shut. "Ohh, I like this. I _so_ like this." Almost as much as she did his bewildered gaze. "Wait here."

She knew he now had to, and just to scare him a bit, she dissolved, merging with the darkness and starting her little discovery tour. However, even after several minutes of swooshing over the land, she couldn't find anything except this ground that looked like earth, and darkness. A lot of darkness. A little disappointed, she returned to where Ace was still standing, mute and motionless.

"Okay, you can talk again," she said, resolving the spell or whatever it was.

He started bitching immediately. "What was that? Are you kidding me! Are you a witch now, or what?"

She shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know. It's just so nice for a change, you know, since all this _being weak_ and defensive is wearying me out like hell."

He hmph-ed. "I might reconsider my statement. So what is this?"

"It doesn't have a name yet, but I think I'll call it _Shadow World_, you know, since there are all those nice shadows here and stuff."

"Never heard of something like this. It's weird …"

"It's handy. And oh, almighty and ever-knowing cowboy, it's so astonishing you've never heard of my new attack, it's not as if Devil Fruits were unique at all, and …"

"Yeah, yeah, stop it. I'm quiet already," he said with annoyance.

"Ohh, cowboy. Just think of all the things I can do here …" She stopped, a thought occurring to her, and slowly, a mischievous smile spread on her face. "Oh. Ohhh."

He frowned. "I don't like that look, what are you up to now?"

"Take off your clothes."

"What?" He gasped as his hands went to work without him controlling it. His shirt was off in no time, unbuttoned as it was, and next was his belt buckle. "What … No!" The belt fell to the ground, and off went the fly button.

"Stop," she commanded, and he stilled. She bit her lip in glee. Oh, how she could tease him now. Taking a few steps, she walked up behind him, trailing her finger over the tattoo on his back. Hmm, he was hot. And she wasn't talking about temperature here.

"Do you realise that I can do with you what I want now?" she purred next to his ear, standing on tiptoe. "Do you realise I could just tell you to take off your pants and sit down and then I could make a revival of what we did three years ago? Oh, I'd _love_ to do that."

"You'd rape me, huh?" he rasped. She wouldn't be fooled by his words – she could hear the lust in his voice.

"Aww, cowboy. It's not as if I was stealing your first time, is it." She giggled, leaving a trail of kisses and licks on the back of his neck. He was breathing hard now. There was no denying it – he was enjoying what she did.

Reaching around his torso, she let her hand wander over his navel and down to his abdomen, dipping lower …

"Stop this!" he grated. "Stop this, or …"

"Or what?" She chuckled, and her hand stayed where it was. Just a bit lower, and … "You have no power here, cowboy. It's all mine. All my lousy, weak, girlish power."

* * *

"I take it back already! Stop it! Please!" He was melting beneath her hands. Melted wax, for her to do and form as she pleased.

"Ooh," she mumbled, feigning disappointment, and finally, _finally_ getting her hand out of his pants. "And here I was having so much fun."

He exhaled in relief as she let him go.

"Okay, let's go. How do I do this, uhh … Let us out!"

And out they went, landing flat on the shore. Without thinking, Ace rolled over and snatched both her wrists in an iron grip, pressing them over her head to immobilise her. When she just looked at him with more than a hint of amusement in her eyes, he growled. "Don't. Ever. Do. This. Again!"

She chuckled and headbutted him slightly. "Oh, cowboy. I was just messing with you a bit. Glad you're so responsive." She pecked him on his nose and managed to press her left leg up against his massive erection. It took him all of his strength so as not to moan out loud.

Realising that his scowl was bereft of its authority, he let her go and jumped to his feet, checking his clothes. There was nothing changed; it seemed like what had happened just now was staying in that place. Without looking at her, he started walking towards the town. He would have to be careful now. He never wanted to feel that powerless again.

Hearing her giggling behind him, he frowned again. "Jeez. Asshole shadow girl."

"Aww, cowboy. I just had to pay you back with all my weak might, you know."

He'd be damned if he called her that ever again. As for now, he had to take care of chopping down some wood.

* * *

**Author's note: **And I'll continue exactly where I left. Promise.

_**Coming up: **_

He grabbed his cock, and as soon as he touched it, he already felt like exploding. – Yeah. Uuuh, she just said 'cock' …^^

If she meant what he thought she meant, then surely this _must_ be a dream. – Finally! Time to make little cowboy happy!

She smiled again, but did as he told her, waiting until he gave her a nod, the most articulative gesture he could manage at the moment. – Yes … not very articulate now. When really it should be _her_ who's not … shishishi …


	46. First Times

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

**Author's note: **Remember the ending? Remember the wood? I promised I'd continue right there, so enjoy some juiciness – a present for you, for the second anniversary of this story (yes, that's why I needed so long, I actually had this done a month ago).

And don't bitch at me, this is M-rated for a reason. Don't like, don't read (actually, if you're not into smut, you can just skip it. Doesn't affect the storyline).

* * *

**Chapter 46: First Times**

_Great. Just great_, Ace thought as he trudged towards the hotel. He had lost Yami somewhere on the way, but he couldn't care less. It was not as if he was so fond of her at the moment anyway.

After what she'd done to him, he needed to have at least some distance. His male pride wasn't just injured, it was lying half-dead and wailing in a corner of his consciousness.

In addition and just to make matters worse, his body had grown some hardwood in his pants, which could no longer be ignored. He needed a shower, and fast. And after, he was inclined to get a drink or two.

Almost ripping off his clothes and dropping them to the floor as if he didn't care (he didn't), Ace kicked the bathroom door open and shut again behind him and turned the water on, stepping under the searing hot spray. Of course he could take a cold one, but he didn't want to work off – he wanted to _work off_.

He had gone long enough without sex. When he thought about his last orgasm and couldn't even remember it, he clenched his teeth angrily. Time to change that.

As the drips touched the crown of his erection, he hissed. The oversensitive skin made him feel every little droplet like the touch of a finger. A nice association. If it were only _her_ fingers that touched him …

No, his own handiwork was called for. He grabbed his cock, and as soon as he touched it, he already felt like exploding. It really had been a long time without. _Feels … so good …_ he thought as soon as he started working his hand up and down. His eyes closed automatically, and a groan rose in his throat.

Soon he was panting, leaning his forehead against the cold tiles of the wall. How easy it was to imagine that the drops of water were her fingers stroking him, that it was her tongue that occasionally touched the tip of his cock, that she was kneeling before him, pleasuring him until he came into her hot mouth.

That thought alone almost made him orgasm. He was so close now, just a few strokes away. If she just walked right through the door now, he didn't think he would say No. He didn't think he was momentarily physically able to say No to her, if she came right in and …

A knock on the door made him freeze. His brain did some somersaults in his skull as it tried to wrap around whether that had really happened or was just part of his fantasy. But as the knock returned, his heart jumped in his chest – and so did his cock.

"What?" he barked, torn between joy and frustration. As the door slowly opened, he briefly contemplated taking his hand away from himself, but finally left it where it was, wrapped around his proudly jutting erection. He was no schoolboy on whose masturbating his mother had just walked in. He was a man, and he had the right to do what he was just doing. Period.

Through the fogged glass of the shower, he saw Yami's head poking through the door. "Umm …" he heard her say. "I've got an offer …"

_Suck me off? Hell yeah!_ He frowned at his own silliness. "Be quick, I'm working here."

She came in fully, and he heard her chuckle. "Oh, I see."

"Did you come just to tease me? You've done that quite enough. Now get out."

She was quiet for a moment, and he scowled at her through the glass. "No," she then said, and he heard something in her voice that he couldn't quite place. "I'm here with an offer. Or a present, rather. To show you I'm serious."

"And what would that be?" he asked, exhaling slowly and noticing with surprise that his breath was somehow shaky.

She came nearer. Though he couldn't see her clearly, he was able to see that she seemed … insecure?

"I'm gonna give you a first of mine," she answered. "So that you see I mean it. I'll give you what I've never given anyone before."

A first? What the …? "What first? I thought until now you've done just about _everything_," he said, trying to sound sarcastic.

"No," she said quietly, so quiet he almost couldn't hear her. And what she then said was so out of the blue it very nearly swept him off his feet. "Let me taste you."

_Taste! What! This a fucking dream or what!_ His hand around his cock tightened, almost wringing a moan from his lips.

"Like … what?" he rasped, his voice raw all of a sudden. If she meant what he thought she meant, then surely this _must_ be a dream.

"Like, give you head. A blowjob. Go down on you. Suck your dick. You name it." She gave a little laugh. "A bit slow on the uptake, aren't we."

_A dream. A fucking dream alright. _

"A-are you kidding me? Because right now, I've so got enough of that." Damn him if his voice had gotten even huskier.

Instead of answering, she simply started undressing right before him. Off went her top, her hot pants, her bra and finally her panties as he stared incredulously at the hazy silhouette through the steamy glass, wishing it were more transparent.

_A dream. A dream. A fucking wet dream, created by my megahorny unconscious. _

Her hand reached for the shower door. His heart beat like mad. His brain hadn't caught up yet. His cock was throbbing, and his balls clenched agonisingly.

The door opened. Yami gazed up at him, looking determined yet vulnerable. "Ace. I'm _not_ kidding."

_What did she just call me! What –_ His jaw slackened. Had she just said his name? She'd never said his name since their strange reunion, she'd never …

Her eyes were bored into his as she stepped into the shower and closed the door behind her. "Breathe, cowboy," she said in a low voice, and he released a breath he hadn't noticed holding.

"Say that again," he whispered, and without thinking grabbed her by the waist. She was hypnotising him. He couldn't think when she was around. Not like this, not naked in the shower like a fucking wet dream come alive. How could he even think about denying her offer? Not even a fool would, and he was no fool.

"Say what?" she asked and placed one hand on his chest. Her eyes were gleaming and alive, living beings that existed only to hypnotise him.

"My name. Say my name," he commanded, his fingers digging into her flesh. He was out of breath, didn't know how to breathe anymore. His brain had decided to go on hiatus without him. Even if he wanted to say No to this, he wasn't able anymore.

"Ooh." She gave that wicked little grin that always promised mischief, and he suppressed a shudder. "Does that turn you on? _Ace?_"

With a roar, he grabbed her and shoved her roughly against the tiles. His mouth was on hers, claiming her, claiming what was _his_. His tongue in her mouth was not teasing, it was _attacking_. He pressed his body against hers, fiercely grabbing her behind, pushing his erection against her core. When she moaned into his mouth, he growled and bit her lip. She moaned again. "If I'd … only known this …" she panted as he kissed his way down to her neck.

He couldn't _think_. All he had in mind was fucking that sweet little mouth of hers, that mouth that had _never_ been fucked by anyone. Dark red lipstick on his cock. The muffled sound of her moaning his name as he came right into her mouth … He growled as he almost came right and there.

"Let me …" she whispered huskily and slipped from his grip, ushering him against the wall. "Since I had your first, you'll have mine now."

He couldn't move. It was as if he was paralysed, watching her ease down while her hand trailed south with her, down his chest and abs, over the side of his hips, and her eyes steadily gazing up at him. It was the most erotic sight he had ever gotten to behold.

She was kneeling now, and her head was perfectly on a level with his shaft. Another glance up at him, promising sinfulness, before her eyes focused on where all the blood from his body had gone. "That's definitely gotten bigger since last time I saw it," she murmured, and he just couldn't help but feel pride at her words.

_Hell yeah. It'll fill your mouth until nothing fits in anymore._

"Don't move," she whispered.

Ace held his breath when she grabbed his hips with both hands to keep him still. He felt so brimming with lust that he thought he was gonna blow up any moment.

Her tongue darted out, touching his testicles. They clenched in response, and he exhaled heavily. She continued licking over them, sucking slightly. It was almost unbearable. Agonisingly slow, she kissed and licked her way around his shaft before eventually meeting the base. Ace clenched his hands into fists at his sides, waiting for more, craving for more.

The moment seemed to stretch until eternity. Finally, she slightly cocked her head, staring at his shaft as if she wanted to bite it like a dog bites a stick. And – good gracious! – bite she did. Ace gasped as he felt her little teeth at the base of his cock, trailing with ever so little pressure that it made jolts of pleasure jump down his spine instead of hurting. A lick followed her bite, slowly, ever so slowly, and her tongue felt like deliciously rough silk. She licked up the length until just beneath the crown, then stopped, glancing up. Her little smirk made him crazy.

"I like this," she breathed, almost inaudibly.

Ace clenched his teeth in response. He wasn't very able to talk at the moment. When she bit him again, further upwards this time, his head fell back against the shower wall, and he groaned. "Oh … God …"

Her tongue trailed upwards again, and she grabbed his shaft at the base, directing it, tugging until the crown was just before her mouth. She let her tongue dart out again, giving the tip a quick lick that made him groan again. It took all of his self-control to not shove his cock into her mouth impatiently. Enduring her sweet torture, he couldn't help but watch. It looked too erotic to carelessly ignore.

He knew he wouldn't last long, not if she continued like this. Her breath all over his cock drove him mad, and the fact that this girl was the most unpredictable he'd ever met blew his pleasant anticipation through the top of the scale.

Another lick. He groaned, pressing his fists against the wall so as not to reach out and grab her head so he could thrust his shaft between her deliciously opened lips.

Her head lowered, and her lips met the crown of his cock. He inhaled sharply at the most thrilling feeling. Slowly, she slid them along his length, taking inch by inch of rock-hard flesh into her mouth, giving licks to the tip, and Ace's head slammed against the wall again as he threw it back so hard he almost smashed the tiles. "Hnng!"

He saw, no, he _felt_ her smile around his cock. As he gazed down, she was looking up, meeting his eyes, and – "Stop!"

At her questioning look, never taking him out of her mouth, he panted, "Too … much. Wait … moment … please." He didn't even notice how incoherent his sentences were. His brain was a heap of mud wildly sloshing around in his skull, denying him the ability to think about anything but this exquisite feeling.

She smiled again, but did as he told her, waiting until he gave her a nod, the most articulative gesture he could manage at the moment.

Her tongue rubbed over his sensitive tip as she drew his shaft out of her mouth, as slowly as she had drawn it in.

_God … this … too much …_

Her lips still in place around the crown, she pumped once with her fist around the shaft, making him buck his hips involuntarily. She shook her head, her eyes gleaming, and pressed him back against the cold tiles.

It was just like in his dream. No, better. His skin hissed as water drops vaporised by touching it. Only logical, since he was on fire on the inside, and almost on the outside. Steam filled the shower and the rest of the bathroom, but he didn't care as long as he could still see her.

Her tongue played its wicked games with his shaft, circling, rubbing and licking ever so deliciously. He could feel his orgasm build up steadily, it was only a matter of seconds until she would send him over the edge.

"I'm … gonna … You don't have to …"

Only the sparks in her eyes told him she'd understood, since she didn't cease her activity in the slightest. On the contrary, her movements became even fiercer. Her hand grasped him tighter, and even her lips tightened around him as she sucked him off, her tongue darting roughly.

"I'm … gonna …" He helplessly sucked in a breath as it started. Waves over waves of pleasure rolled over him, sparks exploding in his field of vision as he threw his head back and yelled at the ceiling. His hips jerked uncontrollably, seeking her lips while spending into her, thrusting at the back of her mouth. She took it all, and he felt the vibrations around his cock when she gave a moan.

Finally he had given all he could give, and when he looked down at her, she swallowed and licked him one last time before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Whew," he heard her mutter. She grunted as she tried to stand up again, so he helped by reaching down for her, drawing her into his arms.

"And? How was I?" she chuckled. He was holding her close no matter whether her legs had recovered from kneeling or not, bathing in the afterglow, basking in it.

"Magnificent." His lips sought hers, and he kissed her until he was out of breath. "And how was your first time?"

"Mmh." She licked her lips. "Tasty."

He almost went hard again. "The wrong thing to say if you don't want a replay," he informed her, squeezing her behind.

She squealed. "Mercy, please! My knees can't take anymore!"

He grinned at her. "A pity. I'd like the greatest blowjob of my life to be repeated sometime."

She raised her eyebrows, looking surprised. "Greatest of your life?"

"Don't bask in your success, shadow girl. It's an accident until you can repeat it."

"Hah." A smug grin spread on her face.

"Beginner's luck," he smiled and kissed her once again. Now that his brain was functioning properly again, the questions arose at once. Her first time, that sure was astonishing. She, the man-eater. She, the great seductress.

"Why have you never done that?" he asked as soon as their lips parted.

"If I knew it'd be so yummy, I'd have done it much earlier." She laughed. "No, seriously, why should I have? It's not for my pleasure. I've just never felt like having a dick in my mouth."

"Until now?"

"Until now. But don't get cocky, I just wanted to make you a present."

"Can't help it. I like your presents." He placed a kiss on her forehead, then bent down until he was at eye level, looking her straight in the eyes. "Thank you, Yami."

She bit her lip and grinned. "You're welcome … Ace."

He groaned. "Get outta here or I'll have you on your knees again!"

She giggled and playfully slapped his cheek before opening the door and grabbing a towel. He watched her drying off, then frowned down at his newly awake member.

Jeez. What a day.

* * *

**Author's note: **Short but yummy! Hope you liked reading as much as I did writing … teehee.

_**Coming up:**_

"Don't worry. Nothing'll happen. We'll be in and out faster than you can say 'Curse you all, damned Marines'."

"Ohhhh!" Ace suddenly stopped. "Smells delicious! Must be the cafeteria! Let's gooo!" And before Yami could react, he was already gone.

She was about to lose all of her nerves, thinking about wandering about aimlessly in a Marine base, when she was suddenly grabbed and pulled through a door.


	47. Infiltration

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.**  
**

* * *

**Chapter 47: Infiltration**

"And you're really sure about this?" Yami asked about the hundredth time that day. Fidgeting around with the hem of her miniskirt, she frowned as the huge building came in sight. She was sitting on Ace's lap and would have crawled straight under his seat, if she had been able to. Neela, sitting on her shoulder, squawked indignantly as if disapproving of her tension.

"Don't worry. Nothing'll happen. We'll be in and out faster than you can say 'Curse you all, damned Marines'."

"That's too long," she mumbled. She hated to admit it, but facing the towering structure of the Marine's Second Division, she was feeling awfully safe here, in Ace's arms. He seemed to emit such a casual carelessness that she was almost caught up in it, too.

"Well, anyway. We're unbeatable, no matter how you see it." His hand went up and down her upper arm in a comforting gesture. She didn't know whether he even realised doing it, but it had the same effect on her. She could have stayed here forever, like this.

"Wish I could believe that."

"Hey." He used his hand to turn her face towards his, looking serious. "Nothing will happen. But if it does, I'll protect you. At all costs."

Her mouth opened, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Embarrassingly, she felt the heat of a blush creep upon her cheeks, and jerked her face away, at which her parrot fluttered to regain her posture. "Don't need you for protection," Yami mumbled in the opposite direction.

_What am I, an enamoured schoolgirl?! That's so lame!_

He laughed. "That's the spirit, shadow girl."

* * *

"Okay, here we go."

They had successfully reached the base, moored the raft somewhere nobody could find, and caught two unwitting Marines that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now, as they had stripped them of their clothes, they needed to wear them themselves, so that they could pass undetected and enter the building.

"Grrmpf." Yami held the white shirt with the typical seagull-like Marine emblem up in front of her, her face a grimace of disgust. She was distracted, however, as Ace undressed and dropped his pants on the ground. _Definitely a better view._ Yes, she had seen that already and just yesterday too, and yes, now was just so not the time, but how should she get her eyes off when provided with such a mouth-watering view?

"You're going commando?" she asked when he simply jumped into the Marine pants. Her heartbeats sped up for some reason.

"What do you expect me to do, steal his boxers?"

"Ewww," she muttered, gaze still transfixed to the pants. _Hmm, nice. Reeeaaally nice._

"Hurry up, we don't have all … what are you staring at?" He had stopped, one arm through the shirt sleeve.

She tore her eyes away and slapped herself over the head. "Nothing." _Just that you're looking damn hot. In a Marine uniform. Aww, I'm so messed up._

He raised his brows at her, waiting.

She sighed. "Well, what'd you think if you knew I was going bra-less?"

He blinked. "What? But I'm always …"

"That's not it. Those aren't jeans. Other fabric. Thinner. I'm just thinking …" Her mouth went dry at the possibilities. _Oh, wrong time, wrong place! Dammit, what's the matter with you!_

A smug grin spread on his face. "Thinking … what?"

"Nothing! I'm thinking nothing, okay?"

"Little weakness for guys in cloth pants, huh?"

_Little weakness for_ you _in cloth pants_. She exhaled, trying to be angry, but failed. Now to the quest at hand – wearing a Marine uniform.

She shooed Neela into a tree before undressing and throwing her clothes at Ace's face. "Get those to the raft."

He obeyed, chuckling at her. She was still staring hatefully at the shirt. Oh, how she hated it. How she hated anyone wearing it. Jeez, she couldn't do this. She couldn't …

"Thinking time's over." The shirt was grabbed from her hands, and faster than she could look, her arms had gotten stuffed through the sleeve holes. "There. I figure you can put on the pants yourself?"

She scowled up at him, pondering to hit him just because. But when she saw his grin, she just couldn't uphold her angry face anymore. Grabbing the pants from him, she kicked her legs through. "Too large," she huffed.

Ace shrugged. "Was to be expected." He pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "That guy's taller than you, after all."

"Let's just hope women are wearing the same crappy stuff as men." She'd hide her hair under that cap, just to be sure.

"You don't look too bad …"

She looked at him with her brow raised. "You don't _mean_ that. And button up that damned shirt."

Ace chuckled. "You'd look good in anything, sweetie."

"Hmph. I know that, baka," she said, sticking out her tongue at him.

"OI! YOU THERE!"

They both froze instantly. Yami was terrified. Busted, and so early! Must be his freaking tattoo, really, how blind had they thought them to be …

The guy who had shouted came to a halt in front of them. "What the hell are you doing out here? Get in, and pronto!"

Before Yami could sigh in relief, Ace had already taken up his new role. "Aye, Sir!" he answered, his hand raised in a perfect salute.

"Aye, Sir," she repeated after him rather unwillingly.

"Get your sorry asses inside, you brats!" the guy shouted after them as they went towards the entrance. "And you, button up your damn shirt!"

"Teeheehee," Ace giggled like a five-year old. "And here we are. Pretty easy so far."

"Hmph." Yami held out her arm as Neela came down from the tree, landing on her favourite spot on Yami's shoulder. She started nibbling at her ear straight away. _Soon I'm gonna have to buy some new earrings for my new earlobe piercings._

They entered the building completely undisturbed. All around them, as they passed through hallways and up some stairs, were Marine-uniformed people, walking busily in all directions. Yami's hands clenched to fists. _Just go, just go and ignore them …_ she told herself over and over again.

"Ohhhh!" Ace suddenly stopped. "Smells delicious! Must be the cafeteria! Let's gooo!" And before Yami could react, he was already gone.

"Oh Jeez!" she hissed, hurrying after him. He was right – it was the cafeteria. A large buffet covered one wall, with a large 'Self Service' sign above, and many tables were standing in line across the room. Ace was already helping himself to some stuff over there, balancing one tray on his head while filling another in his hands. Yami face-palmed. _If I'd known he'd get like that, I'd never have given him that blowjob …_

She went after him as he, whistling loudly, put his trays on an empty table and started stuffing himself right away. Slapping her hand on the tabletop, she bent down slightly, scowling as he looked up at her innocently. "Oh, there you are!"

"We're not here to pig out, goddammit!" she hissed at him. Really, since when was _she_ the adult one? "People are looking!"

"Why not?" he asked in-between two bites of chicken.

As she stared open-mouthed, searching for some reasonable remark that was not "Because!", he was pulling her down onto the chair next to him, sliding the second tray her way. "Eat. Let's sink them into poverty by eating all their food."

She sighed, defeated by the logic of a five-year old, and picked up some grapes lying by the edge of the plate. Everything in her revolted against eating Marine food, and she had to practically force them down her throat. Neela didn't seem to have those constraints; when offered a few grapes, the bird dug in happily.

"Okay, see it that way: they owe you something. Big-time. And you're here to get it, alright?"

"Hmmm," she only said, popping a cherry tomato into her mouth. Well, if he put it like that …

She was just befriending the thought of eating a piece of delicious-looking steak when some guys behind them started talking loudly. And she didn't like what they were saying, not at all, for several reasons.

"… ya know, that fool Whitebeard, he's as good as done. We'll get him and his crew of idiots before the year is through …"

Ace had gone ramrod straight next to her. She closed her eyes for a second. _Please, _please_ don't do something stupid now …_ She tried to grab Ace's arm, but too late.

Faster than she could look, the guy who had talked was already lying knocked-out on the floor. Ace was standing over him, looking enraged. "Heard you talking badly about Whitebeard," he yelled, shaking his fist. "Nobody's insulting Whitebeard when I'm present!"

_Oh damn you, cowboy!_ Yami wearily covered her eyes with one hand. The people around them were staring at him, and the silence was so thick you could've heard a pin drop. But after a moment of shock, someone grabbed his weapon, and they were chasing him out of the cafeteria with their axes, rifles and swords drawn angrily.

Yami sat there, baffled, until she remembered that if anyone got the idea that they had been kinda close, she'd be in a pinch, too. She left the empty room, but when she was just around the next corner, someone blocked her way and she almost ran into him.

"Oh sorry, didn't see ya …" the soldier said, but when she shook her head and wanted to get past him, he planted his arm at the wall right in front of her, effectively blocking her way. A vein popped in her forehead as she reminded herself to stay _calm, calm, calm goddammit. _

"Whatever are you doing," she growled. Neela supported her words by barking angrily.

"Oh my, didn't know we had such sweethearts here," the soldier laughed, inching closer. "Will you go on a date with me?"

"Listen up," she said slowly, grabbing the guy by the collar and squeezing fast. His eyes went wide in surprise. "I will continue my way now. And you will _leave me –_ _the fuck_ – _alone!_" With that, she smashed him into the wall, dusted off her hands, and went away, shaking with anger. The guy stared after her like a carp, but she didn't care. _Damn jerk should be happy I didn't break all of his bones. Argh. _

_Now where's that dumbass?_ she thought grimly and looked down the corridor. The chasing soldiers' voices had faded away, and there was no sign as to where he had gone. She was about to lose all of her nerves, thinking about wandering about aimlessly in a Marine base, when she was suddenly grabbed and pulled through a door.

"WHAT THE …!" she exclaimed, raising her fists to give whatever idiot a good hiding.

"Shhhh! Shut up, it's just me!"

She turned around and found Ace's face just inches away from her own. Yami instantly opened her mouth to yell at him for his stupidity, but one look at his face made her speechless. He had a moustache drawn over his upper lip, and now wore a captain's coat over a different uniform. "What the heck, cowboy?"

"Shhh. They could still be here somewhere." He released her from his hold, and she was able to see a naked and beaten-up guy lie next to a desk.

She shook her head. "You idiot," she growled and slapped him over the head. "What was that about 'protecting me at all costs'?"

"Didn't you say you don't need me? Changed your mind?" He smirked.

She scowled up at him. "As it seems, you'd rather protect the freaking dumbasses running around here. Really, another of those impolite hit ons and I can't guarantee anything anymore!" She clenched her fist and shook it at him.

"You got hit on? Well, poor guy," Ace snickered, grabbing a plate that had stood on the desk. "Want some?"

Yami stared at him in disbelief. "Tell me you didn't just nick that from the cafeteria!"

"Say 'Aaah'."

"Cowboy! How serious do you think our situahmmmpf!" He had reacted faster, and she was now scowling around a forkful of meat and peas. From the way he ducked down, she could deduce that she must have looked like she was about to spit it right back at him, which was exactly what she was contemplating. But after a moment of thinking and listening to a pretty empty stomach's pleas, she finally gulped it down. "Damn you, cowboy …!"

"Take another. You haven't been eating much the last two days. Let's not waste the good food …" Another fork was waiting in front of her face for her to open her mouth, and she finally sighed and let him feed her.

"Good girl," he chuckled. When the plate was empty, she shoved it away and sat her finger on his chest.

"Okay. You'll get that letter delivered _right now_, and we're out."

He shrugged. "Easy. I thought they've also got some information about Teach's whereabouts, so I'll just …"

A knock interrupted them. They both looked at the door, and Yami took a deep breath to calm herself. How she hated this freak club!

After they had manoeuvred the real guy's body around the desk so it couldn't be seen from the doorway, a young soldier poked his head in at Ace's command. "Umm, excuse me, Captain, Sir, but you have a meeting scheduled in five minutes … just wanted to remind you …"

"Alright, I'm coming," Ace answered, which made Yami's blood run cold. To her, he whispered, "Stay right here. I'll be back," and went with the boy.

She was left alone and speechless in a room in a Marine base with a naked, unconscious captain and a bird that continuously mistreated her earlobe, cursing the day Ace was born and her own foolishness to have ever agreed to come here in the first place.

* * *

"Attention please! Attention please! All soldiers to Dock 1 immediately! I repeat, all soldiers to Dock 1 immediately!"

Yami startled up from her light snoozing. She was sitting slumped over the desk, and a look to the side told her that the captain was still out cold. Good for him.

"Attention please! Attention please! All soldiers to Dock 1 immediately! I repeat, all soldiers to Dock 1 immediately!"

"Huh?" she muttered, rubbing her eyes. Then the full meaning hit her. "Oh fuck! He's been –"

"I've been what exactly?" came a voice from behind her, and once again, she jumped in surprise.

"Cowboy! How long've you been here! What's going on!"

"I've just come. You look too cute when you're sleeping, so I just couldn't wake you up."

She growled at his smirking face. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but be serious now! What's this commotion about? And why," she frowned at the cup in his hand, "are you carrying a cup of coffee around?"

"Doesn't matter. There's a super secret scout ship just arrived …"

"Super secret?" Yami raised her brows and looked at the loudspeaker.

"They said in the meeting they received some information about Blackbeard …"

"And you want to get your hands on that, I see," she sighed and stood up. "Let's go. The sooner we're away from here, the better."

As they stepped into the hallway, however, they found out the real source of the excitement. Someone had ignited a fire on the scout ship, and the soldiers were all needed to extinguish it.

Yami gave Ace a questioning look from the side, and he shook his head. "Wasn't me …"

"We'd better hurry …"

When they arrived at the dock, the commanding officer was throwing his hands up in horror. "All the top secret info will be burned to crisp as well! Do something!"

"Alright," Ace mumbled, and didn't she know what he was about to do. But instead of stopping him, she merely sighed, knowing he would do as he pleased anyway.

He jumped up at the railing and disappeared into the flames. Yami smiled weakly as the people around her went nuts.

"The captain! He just …!"

"He'll burn! He'll burn! Save him!"

"Get back here you lunatic!"

He was back two minutes later, carrying a suitcase in one hand, with the ship's captain thrown over his shoulder.

"He's on fire! He's still on fire!" someone whispered in awe.

_Put it out, put the fucking fire out, you dumbass!_

"That … no, that can't be … It's … IT'S FIRE-FIST ACE!"

All hell broke loose. The soldiers drew their guns and started firing immediately as soon as the lifeless figure of the captain was dropped, while Ace broke into a sprint. Yami did her best to navigate through the crowd to run after him, but it was impossible. Marine soldiers were blocking her way wherever she tried to turn. She couldn't believe her eyes when Ace actually skidded to a halt and came back, hopping onto the commanding officer's head as the bullets whizzed through him as through thin air. "Almost forgot about the delivery …" she heard him say as he handed Mouda's letter to the officer. Then he looked around, skimming over the crowd.

Yami broke out into a cold sweat. _No! No, you jerk!_

But it was too late. He had already spotted her, waving in her direction. "You coming or what?"

"_Jackass!_" she yelled, already transforming, and followed him over roofs and walls, Neela following suit, until they got to where they had hidden the raft. Normal again, she hit him on the head. Hard.

"Ow! What's that for!" he complained, rubbing his head.

"Thanks for making my ability public! You jerk! You idiot! Damn it all!" She kicked the ground in her anger, making pieces of earth and grass fly everywhere.

"Aww, come on. They're too dumb to realise it anyway," he laughed, and off they were.

* * *

_The next day …_

"A cap! A fucking Marine cap! Curse you, cowboy!" Yami yelled, running after Ace who had realised that he was in for one hell of a beating if she caught him now.

"It's not that bad, you know …" he called back, jumping over a fence. "Who knew they were able to put two and two together …"

The wanted poster saying "Lady of the Shadows", now updated and brand-new, with a top-quality drawing of Yami's face including the white cap emblazoned with the seagull-like Marine symbol, fluttered forgotten in the wind.

"Curse yoooooou!"

* * *

_**Coming up:**_

All around them, the people had stopped, staring at them in surprise. – And attention is never good when you're a pirate.

"She's a demon! A demon brought from the depths of hell!" – aww, come on.

"Let me go, or I'll show you," she threatened, but she had to admit that not even she herself would take someone with that weak a voice seriously. – and she's in trouble.


	48. Out of Luck

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.**  
**

**Author's note:** Sorry guys, I've got so much to do, so not many updates from my side, unfortunately. Hope you understand. However, I've managed to squeeze in a bit of writing time, so you don't have to go without updates. So here we go, hope you enjoy!

Ah, btw, Yami's name means 'darkness' in Japanese (just in case you've forgotten), hence the little pun in the beginning.

* * *

**Chapter 48: Out of Luck**

"New island, new luck."

Yami hmph-ed. She still wasn't over his successful unmasking her and bringing her face on the wanted poster. Unwantedly.

They were on the next island, a relatively large one with a big town, and at the moment, they were visiting the market place for supplies. There were brightly-coloured booths everywhere, showing off any kinds of things, but Yami had no eyes for them. She was still pondering her problem.

Yet, what could she do? Despite tearing apart any of the damned things she could find, that is. "I've been on my poster for so long already, and nothing's happened to me," Ace had assured her. But that was another thing entirely. He was a complete show-off. A typical male endowed with destructive powers. He was bent on being discovered. He was pursued by Marines more often than not. And hell, he even enjoyed that, enjoyed the show-offy nickname they had given him, enjoyed the thrill of the adventure, enjoyed this kind of lifestyle.

She herself wasn't that way, not at all. Okay, sometimes she just couldn't resist to show off a little. A little too much, alright. But overall, she had managed to be undiscovered for six whole years, after all, and now all her efforts had been for nothing, just because he didn't always think before he acted!

Yes, she was still pissed off. And even worse, now her very first wanted poster showed her wearing a Marine cap of all things! Could things become any worse?

Stupid question. Of course they could.

"THIEF! STOP THE THIEF!"

As they looked up, a feisty man came running towards them. He was holding a small chest under one arm. Turning around in mid-run, he laughed at his pursuer, a red-haired individual who was huffing and puffing after him.

And as the man wasn't really looking where he ran, it happened that he almost collided with Yami. A yank on her arm saved her.

"Jeez, look where you're running," she yelled after him.

A loud pang interrupted her. Before she could look, the bulled had already whizzed through her head, making it dissolve into shadows. Her startled gasp went unnoticed.

"YOU BASTARD! YOU SHOT HER!" Ace roared, her arm still clutched to his side, raging at the frightened redhead, who was still holding a smoking pistol. All over Ace's frame, flames had erupted in his anger.

All around them, the people had stopped, staring at them in surprise.

"Are you okay?" Ace asked Yami, and she nodded, frowning. Turning around, she noticed that even the thief had stopped short.

_What's going on here?_

"Darkness! It's … it's the darkness!" someone whispered. A gasp went through the crowd.

_Yeah, darkness alright. What the hell? _

"Light! He's the lightbringer!"

"She's a demon! A demon brought from the depths of hell!"

Defiantly raising her chin, Yami crossed her arms. "Stupid nonsense! Ever heard of devil's fruits?" Oh, on the other hand … that didn't exactly sound better.

Ace had made a step forward, appearing protective. "Any problem here?" he asked loudly.

Mumbling in the crowd, but nobody dared to speak openly.

"Let's go," Ace said under his breath, took her hand and led her away from the people who were staring after them.

"What was that about? Demon from hell, my ass! I can show them _demon from hell_, if they like!" she growled when they had disappeared into an alleyway. This little episode had not exactly brightened Yami's mood.

"They seem to be stuck in some kinda Middle Ages … or they're just really religious," Ace supposed.

"I don't give a fuck," she snorted. "Demon from hell … oh please!"

With a sidelong glance at her, Ace smiled. "Let's get you something to drink."

* * *

After two glasses of sake, however, which was pretty little considering the amount she could usually down, she had enough already. The last few days' occurrences had used up much of her energy, and much of her good will, also.

She told Ace that she'd get a room in that hotel they had passed earlier, and took her leave. He said he would stay for a little bit longer, and she couldn't help but look around to see whether he just had his eyes on some female subject. When she noticed what she was doing, she hit herself over the head. Mentally.

_Really, just like some dumb schoolgirl. _

She had enough of this, enough of everything. A good night's sleep would settle at least some of her mood, or so she hoped.

She exited the bar and turned in the direction where they had seen the hotel. It was dark already, and apparently, those people had never heard of street lamps. She had only come as far as the next street corner when she heard somebody whistle and say, "So, you're the fruit user, huh?"

She turned around. Three men had come up behind her, and the largest one, the one that had spoken, flashed his teeth in a dirty grin. She didn't like it. He was wearing his shoulder-long hair in a ponytail, and his voluminous beard shook and trembled with every word he spoke.

"What if I am?" she said, cautiously taking a few steps backwards. _Better not involve myself with anyone here in any kinda way. _

"It just happens I absolutely hate fruit users, you know? But you're one fine gal, as it seems, so that's gonna make up for it." The ones behind him laughed. They were all of a similar build, kinda bulky but rather muscular, as if they had worked as miners or something for their whole life.

Yami frowned and opened her mouth to let him have it. But she never got that far. Another step backwards, and she met a resistance, warm, soft, and smelly. And before she could realise that it was another of those guys, the large one had already stepped right in front of her. He grabbed her arm, and she went weak.

"Wh-what the hell?" she moaned when she went down, her arm still in his firm grip.

"We know what to do with fruit users. The guys and ugly ones – thrown into the sea. The ones like you – eaten alive. And later, thrown into the sea." A roar of laughter.

Yami realised that she was in one hell of a trouble now. She had, meanwhile, recognised the green-blackish material the man's ring was made of – kairoseki. And while he was clutching her arm, she couldn't escape.

_Have to!_

"Let me go, or I'll show you," she threatened, but she had to admit that not even she herself would take someone with that weak a voice seriously. They just laughed and said something to her, but she didn't listen. She was concentrating really hard on her abilities of haki formation, and tried to focus everything she got on this part of her arm.

_Now!_

Her arm went black, and she snapped up like an opened jack knive, shaking off his arm like it was nothing at all and driving her fist right into his chin.

"Guahh!" The man stumbled back. She took the opportunity to transform and jump a few steps back, glaring at them, who were looking surprised.

"How did she …?"

"Fuck you!" she spat. "I'll kill you!"

The man she had hit shook off the arms of his companions. His upper lip withdrew from his teeth. He looked like a dog. An angry one. They all stared at her, murderous intent in their eyes, and she figured she'd better take her leave, and fast.

Suddenly, she noticed they were no longer staring at her, but at something behind her, slowly smirking. But before she could whirl around or do anything at all, she was yanked back, and two clicks resounded in the quiet night.

She blinked.

And sunk to the ground once again.

* * *

Ace yawned, downing his beer and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He hadn't been tired earlier, but now he was. And the glances were annoying him.

Ever since they had come here, after their little show on the market place, all eyes had been on them. And since Yami had left, they were on him.

Usually, he had no problems with that. But now …

"Umm, hello," a female voice said from beside him, and he suppressed a sigh, glancing upwards. His eyes were met by pretty hazel ones, looking big and kinda fascinated.

"Hello," he answered, not wanting to sound rude.

"Would you, umm, would you mind if I took this place?"

This one was quite straightforward. With an obvious surge of courage, she threw her blond hair over her shoulder with a flick of her head.

Okay, now. All politeness aside, this was getting stupider by the minute. "No, I won't, because I'm going now," he said as polite as he could without baring his teeth. He stood up.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I didn't want to drive you away …" the woman started, but he waved it off.

"I'm tired anyway. Good night."

This was the fifth time this had happened since Yami had left. He was tired of it, and amazed at himself that he was tired of it. Earlier, he would have taken the opportunity to get some. Apparently, that was over now.

_Jeez. Damn girl's had me hooked without doing anything._ Okay, maybe that wasn't quite right. In fact, she had done pretty much, especially a few days ago, with her mouth. That thought alone made him hard again. Perhaps, if he went now and she was still awake, he could persuade her to do it again …?

Since this sounded like a marvellous idea to him, he left the bar, walking into the direction of the hotel. But he had barely made it to the next street when he heard the scream. Or rather, angry yell. And damn him if he hadn't heard that voice more than a thousand times already.

He sped up, led by the sound of her voice, and was just in time to see her being dragged into some kind of carriage. Instead of doors, however, it had steel bars.

"OOOI!" he yelled, running towards it. The man who had just thrown her in turned around. His expression was one of annoyance.

"What do you want?" he had the nerve asking.

"What are you doing with her! Let her out!" Ace, panting, planted himself in front of the guy, who, he noticed, was wearing some kind of uniform.

"Just what I'm saying!" Yami exclaimed from inside the carriage. "He won't listen!"

"She attacked a state official and tried to kill him. She is a threat to the peace of this island."

"They tried to _rape_ me, fuckdammit!"

"And she is using bad language, unbefitting the tender disposition of this island's villagers."

"_Tender disposition_ my fucking ass! They fucking tried to rape me! Don't you ever fucking _listen!_"

Ace had heard enough. "Okay, here's the deal. You let her out, and we're away from here faster than you can say 'goodbye'. How's that?"

The man looked stern. "You might be the bringer of light, yet I am afraid this is not possible. She had been arrested, and will be taken to jail. We do not like strangers here, and especially if they are misbehaving."

Ace hmph-ed mentally. _Don't like strangers? If their way to express that means they're all over me, I don't want to see them when they _do_ like strangers. _

Out loud, he said, "Listen. I'm sorry for what she did, but if you just let her go, you'll never see us again."

"You'd better be sorry!" a voice came from behind him, and he frowned at the newcomers. _What is this, a freak show?_

"She punched me out of thin air," one of the newly arrived men claimed and pointed at his chin.

"Thin air my fucking ass!" Yami yelled. "Fucking rapist! I'll _castrate_ you!"

"See? She's lying without hesitation, and threatening me again!" he whined. To Ace, however, he looked like he was acting, and quite obviously. Apart from that, he knew Yami, and he knew she'd never run around attacking people without reason, no matter how mad she was. Especially if they weren't clad in white and blue and wearing caps.

"He's got a kairoseki ring! Be careful!" Yami shouted, and the (obviously) police officer hit the bars with a stick.

"Silence! I will take you to prison now, where you can reminisce about your sins." He mounted the driver's seat, and pulled a string, which set the thing in motion.

Ace groaned. To his left, the villagers had multiplied. People had come from their houses, all looking grimly. To his right, the carriage was already leaving. He uttered a curse and after giving the guys one last scowl, hastened after the vehicle.

* * *

Yami gritted her teeth. They had taken her belongings, her weapons, and thrown her into a cell. All she could do was rattle at the bars and scream her lungs out, or lie on the narrow pallet. She was so short before going hysteric.

And oh, as if it couldn't come worse anymore.

Just half an hour after she had been dumped here, a familiar face showed up. Now looking slightly pockmarked in the light, framed with what she now saw was blond-reddish hair in a ponytail and same-coloured beard, same dirty grin on his face, her molester showed up before the bars of her prison cell, just when she was just about going crazy anyway.

"Hey, fruity-fruit," he purred, and she clenched her teeth.

"Where's that dumbass of a policeman?" she demanded. "How did you get in here?"

"My dear _subordinate_," he emphasised the word, "is on street duty tonight. We're all alone here, baby."

A surge of panic flashed through her stomach. Bound with kairoseki handcuffs, in a dark cell somewhere below the town, and no one who could hear her. Not that they'd help, anyway.

She forced a bored expression on her face, while she had to keep her legs from running in mad circles from fear. Rule number one when facing a wild animal: show no fear. "So you're a policeman, or what? Just the right way to get yourself fired, harassing visitors and all."

He laughed. "Policeman? I'm the highest executive officer, sweetie. Nobody to fire me except myself, you know." He took a key ring out of a pocket and waved it in front of her. The keys jingled wildly.

"So you want to free me? Gee, thanks! About time." The stink in this cell was suffocating her. It reminded her of the only other cell she had been in, and of course that reminder was all but unwanted. Besides, she had spotted the ring on his finger – the ring that was _hers_. He had already plundered her rucksack, and she just couldn't let that pass, never. She jumped up and clenched her fists. "Give that back, you bastard!"

"You got some sense of humour alright," he snickered. "All the others just crouched down in fear, begging me to spare them."

"Well, aren't I cute?" she said, cynicism written all over her face.

"Almost a shame that you'll land in the ocean just as every fruit user that had ever been so dumb as to show off his abilities here." He held up the key ring again, and one of them was in his hand now. "But before that, the two of us are gonna have some fun, don'tya think?"

* * *

Ace had lost the carriage somewhere in the middle of town. The damn thing had been fast!

Now he was searching for any traces, or screams, or curses. It wasn't very easy like this, in the middle of the night and with no people he could ask for the way. He just aimlessly ran around, getting angrier and more nervous by the minute.

Sure, Yami was someone who could very well take care of herself. But then again, they had put her in kairoseki handcuffs, and how much could she do like that? She was completely at those hostile islanders' mercy, and he hated it the more he thought about it.

"Dead end! Fuckit!" he cursed when he faced a wall, and turned around to jog towards the other end of the street. He had the distinct feeling that he had to hurry.

Another left, then right, and didn't he recognise this place? _Dammit! I'm running in fucking circles! _

Somewhere above him, a clock began striking.

* * *

**Author's note:** Oh my gosh! Will he be on time? Waaaaah! (I'm a bitch, aren't I.)

_**Coming up:**_

Yami tried not to panic as the key clicked into the lock. – torture time goes on – so sorry!

She could only guess she had been hit. Her whole body constricted painfully, and she couldn't even scream anymore. – owie …

He nodded, placing his chin on her shoulder and glancing at the ring in her hand, while at the same time breathing in deeply. – Ace's all cuddly – awww!


	49. Island Full of Lunatics

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.**  
**

**Author's note: **Hello everyone. Sorry for the long wait, but there was a Bachelor's thesis waiting for me. Now it's waiting for my lecturer to be corrected, and I've got some time before my exams start.

I wish you a happy read.

* * *

**Chapter 49: Island Full of Lunatics**

Yami tried not to panic as the key clicked into the lock. Behind her back, her fists clenched in a desperate, but futile attempt to get free. Seeing as she was handcuffed with kairoseki, the attempt was more than laughable.

In her throat, the bile rose as she frantically fought back the unwanted memory of her time in jail on Mahogany Island, constricting her windpipe and making her lungs feel as if they had shrivelled to an eighth of their original size. She couldn't breathe.

"_What have we here? Such a beauty!"_

She closed her eyes and concentrated on focusing her attention on the present. Her breath went faster, as did her heartbeat, as if her heart wanted to break free from her chest, pounding against her ribcage.

"_Why haven't I ever noticed that we've got such a bombshell in our dungeons? Huh?"_

"_Dunno, man. You don't go here that often."_

_Laughter. "True, but what a waste! She'll be dead in a year or two. But don't worry, sweetheart. You're in great hands with us. We'll put you to a good use …"_

She wanted to scream, but her throat was dry. The man was still fumbling around at the lock, which was apparently struggling against his attempts to open it. She could see his face in the dim light, and she hated it.

_Laughter. And more laughter. Dirty grins. Dirty thoughts. Dirty hands …_

_Take a deep breath. Focus. Just focus. You're here and now, not in the past. The past is buried and forgotten. Don't allow it to resurface. Not now. _

One deep breath. Two deep breaths. Three deep breaths.

_Click_ went the lock.

"I'm coming, baby," he chuckled.

_Focus. _

And on one exhale, all her energy went towards her wrists, circling them, blackening them. She hadn't ever tried this – oh right, she had, just today – but this just had to work. Failure was not an option.

Just when he was about to open the door, she was ready. Now she just had to take some energy from somewhere –

"Captain! Captain!"

The man stopped in his tracks. And so did Yami.

He frowned, half turning his head towards the voice. "What's up? I thought I told ya not ta disturb!"

"Captain, there's a fruit user running wild in town! He's just killed three of us when trying to arrest him!" The previous officer's face appeared at the edge of her cell's front. She could see through the bars that he was, apparently, distressed.

Relief flooded through her, so hard it almost swept her off her feet. Was it Ace? But … he probably wouldn't kill them all. Or would he?

"And there are two fires at the marketplace! Captain, what should we do?"

_Okay, definitely Ace. _

The man growled like an angry dog. He threw her one glance, and she saw he was still tempted. She barely dared to breathe.

"Captain!"

His head jerked back towards the officer, and with a curse he refastened the lock. "Yeah, yeah, alright, I'm coming," he hissed, and in obvious relief, the officer turned and ran up the stairs again.

He turned his face towards Yami again. "Ya're a lucky one," he growled. "But believe me, ya won't be that lucky tomorrow, when I'm coming ta get ya."

Yami stared at the floor, trying to look weak and defenceless, trying not to provoke him. Because even she knew when to stop. Going on now would just put her luck to the test. And tomorrow, she'd be long gone. Not without beating him up and getting back her ring, that is.

With one last curse, he finally hurried after the officer. She heard him huff up the stairs, stomp through the corridor, and with a bang, the outer door fell shut.

And with him, all at once, her energy left. She sank to her knees as the kairoseki sucked up her powers again, gasping for breath, almost kissing the floor for the luck that was bestowed on her.

But of course she couldn't just sit back now and rely on Ace to come and save her. Chances were bad boy would come back before he could find her, and she had to prepare.

She stood up again, staggering slightly but catching her balance soon enough. After thinking it over, she knew she first had to get her hands in front of her body before she could do anything else. Good thing she was quite flexible. At the third attempt, she managed to step through her hands.

Now came the difficult part. She would have to try bending the bars with the help of haki while also applying haki to her wrists so that the handcuffs couldn't suck up all of her energy. But more important, she didn't have time thinking it through. Who knew when he'd come back.

She took a short breath, grabbed a bar and collected her powers, then released them all at once while stemming all of her weight against the iron.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaa!" It moved. Only a bit, but it was enough for her to wedge one shoulder into the gap, to have better leverage.

"Move it … you dirty … asshole … piece of … metal!" she groaned while focusing all of her powers on pushing. Just a bit more … a little bit …

The bar groaned as it gave way, and all of a sudden, she was free. Standing in the hallway, her face shining with sweat, panting, she smiled as she gave the empty cell a one-finger salute and made her way up towards where, as she had seen when she had been brought down here, she knew the office and some cupboards were located. Perhaps there were some spare keys stored somewhere, and she could open her cuffs without having to take more drastic measures.

And really, after just a few minutes of looting the desk drawers, she stumbled upon a keyring, quite similar in size to the one that guy had held. With a triumphant grin, she took it out – and stopped dead in her tracks.

Keys – there. Cuffs – there. Hands – in cuffs.

"Oh jeeeeez," she muttered, throwing curses at all three of them. Wasn't this just her luck. But no – without luck, who knew where she'd be now. Not here, that was for certain.

"Don't you dare not to work," she growled and tried the first key, almost dislocating her right wrist in the process. It was the wrong one. Similar with the second, the third, fourth, fifth …

"It's the last one. It's always the last one. Work for me, pleeeaaase!" she pleaded as she tried the last key – and she swore never again to curse her luck in any way, because it worked. "Oh thank you!"

The cuffs fell off and clanked over the floor. Yami kicked them down the staircase. Wiping her brow with one arm, she exhaled in relief. Stage two: cleared.

In a storeroom, she found her rucksack, with a few of her belongings strewn around it. She collected them, muttering insults, and left the police station completely unobstructed. When she stood in the clear, cool night, feeling a slight breeze in her hot face, she chuckled.

_Okay, now for finding cowboy and getting my ring back_.

* * *

Ace growled in frustration. After running around in this goddamn labyrinth of a city, he had decided that if Muhammad couldn't get to the mountain, the mountain had to come to Muhammad. So, he had lit a few little fires around the marketplace and started waiting for the police or fire brigade or anyone who could tell him where the fuck that police station was.

All that had happened, however, was a cat passing by, and Neela, who had been around him since Yami had been taken prisoner, nibbling on his earlobe. He was waiting for half an hour already, when finally, someone seemed to have noticed the smell and light and alarmed someone. A lot of hustling and bustling, but nobody seemed to have the time to answer his question. And it was a simple question, at that.

He was short before just grabbing and shaking someone, when he saw a familiar face.

"You!" he yelled, but his voice drowned in the racket. Muttering insults, he slowly managed to shove his way through the crowd, finally reaching the man. He grabbed him by the shoulder. When he turned, frowning, Ace yelled at him. "Where did you bring her?"

The policeman shook his head, but before he could open his mouth, Ace's patience had left him. He grabbed him by both shoulders, and none too gently. "WHERE. DID. YOU. BRING. HER!"

The man's face scrunched up in pain. "The police station!"

"WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT THING!" Ace roared, unnoticed in all the ruckus.

"South! That street over there, second to the left, first to the right! Ouch, let me go!"

But Ace was already gone.

* * *

"Oh my. What have we here?" Yami grinned as she approached the scene enfolding right in front of her eyes. There was that little shit of a police officer, looking concentrated, and another guy, hands raised in a capitulating gesture. He was rather small, and as far as Yami could see in the dark, his hair was white. He didn't look as if it was from age, though – he seemed to be in his mid-twenties.

"Y-you!" She saw how the bastard's eyes widened, and his attention was drawn from the task at hand – mainly, keeping track of the other man's movements and aiming at him with a pistol. "Don't come nearer, or I'll –"

"You'll what, exactly?" the other one said as he crossed the distance between them in two quick steps, kicking at his wrist. The pistol clattered to the ground.

The police guy leapt backwards as brightness illuminated the night. He only barely avoided the flash that had been aimed at him. "Get back, you sick fuck!" he yelled, lunging at the weapon on the ground. Before he could reach it, another flash crashed down, and he had to draw back his hand. He cursed as the pistol slid several metres away.

"Now, now," the other one purred. "Don't use that kind of language – it's rude."

"Heart-warming," Yami sighed and clapped her hands. "Awesome show. Great performance. Now, just let me get back my ring and I'll –"

"Stay back!" the fruit user growled, and it was as if he had switched from cat to dog. He was even baring his teeth.

_Just don't let me catch rabies_, Yami thought and rolled her eyes. "Oi, listen. Just let me –"

Instead of an answer – or even listening –, another flash struck down, on her this time, effectively interrupting her. She transformed into shadow, and the flash hit the ground, going right through her.

The guy stared, then started laughing.

_Jeez, another of those lunatics. Where the heck do they get them from? A nest?_

"I see. You're like me, huh?"

"No I'm not," Yami said in annoyance, holding out her hand. "I just want my ring."

"Ring?" He now looked confused. "What ring?"

"Don't you ever listen to people talking to you?" she grated, but as he seemed dumbstruck, she demeaned herself to explain. "That guy's got it. He stole it from me, and I want it back. Then I'm off and you can have more fun together."

"Heh …" the guy said, grinning. "Alright, you can –"

A shot rang out through the night.

Yami's head flew around towards the police shit. He had somehow managed to reach his pistol, and hadn't hesitated to shoot. Now a dark red stain spread on Flash Guy's shirt, right on the shoulder.

"AAAAAAAAGH!" he screamed and looked at the wound in terror.

Yami didn't hesitate either. Launching herself at the asshole who was already reloading, she hit him hard and tried to kick the gun away once again, but too late – she hadn't even a chance to react when the hailstorm of lightning rained down on them – both of them.

"Stop! Stop it – KYAAAAAAAAA!"

She could only guess she had been hit. Her whole body constricted painfully, and she couldn't even scream anymore. Compared to those things Dai had planted on her hands, this was around a hundred times more painful. She couldn't even breathe, her lungs didn't allow her to draw air, she felt like suffocating, burning, and cramps all over her body, she'd die this time for sure, why, just after she's come so far –

Then, as sudden as it had started, it was over. Her body gave in, and she toppled over, falling face-down to the ground. She had already prepared for the impact – what was a broken nose after _this_ – when she was caught with her face just inches from the street.

"Why are you doing this every time I leave you alone?" she heard someone say … it sounded familiar … soft voice … liked it … brain too roasted to comprehend?

She was lifted and pressed against a chest, and struggled to take a deep breath to not suffocate. From the flash, not the pressing. Even so, feeling as if run over by a steam roller, she was able to distinguish Ace's scent.

"C…areful," she managed to croak, before she was shaken by a heavy coughing fit that left her feeling like screaming.

"Don't worry, he's out cold. They both are."

She felt relieved. At least he'd done the job right. "Let me … I'll … kill … them …" she growled, struggling to get to her feet, which wasn't easy, up flat against that chest. "I'll kill … them both!"

"I could lend you a hand there," she heard him say through clenched teeth, and for a moment, it felt as if he wouldn't let her go. When he did, he grasped her elbow so as to be quick to catch her, should she stumble.

She was too overwhelmed by wrath to be surprised or confused about him, however. Seeing the two men on the ground, she grabbed her kairoseki dagger and only barely withstood the urge to twirl it around her finger – not good with kairoseki.

"Castrate him!" she sneered as she stepped forward towards the knocked-out police guy.

"Oi oi oi!" Ace's arm shot out, blocking her way. "I'm sure you got your reasons, but –"

"He tried to rape me! And he almost succeeded! Twice!" Yami yelled, not noticing how all around her, shadows had started to waver like eerie black fire.

* * *

Ace had gone rigid. "Okay, do it."

"What?" Her head jerked around. She was staring, seemingly baffled.

"I kinda wanna kill him now too." He raised his fist now bright with fire, glaring down at the unconscious person. How dare he. _How. Dare. He! My girl!_

"Yah, maybe not kill him – just castrate him. He's more than deserved that. Did it before, too."

Neela barked her agreement. After their little reunion, the bird had fluttered excitedly around her owner, croaking with joy. Now she took her usual place on Yami's shoulder, rubbing her beak on her neck.

The fire ebbed away as Ace forced himself to calm down. Still, he was angry. Angry at himself, too. If he had managed to follow that damn vehicle this wouldn't have happened.

"Or …" Yami's eyes sparkled as she started to grin. "I've got a better idea."

Thus it came that after provisionally bandaging the wound on the guy's shoulder, Ace and Yami tied the two guys' hands and dragged them out of town without anyone seeing it. The forest, which was said to be dark and dangerous, proved a great place to put them until they woke up. And if they did, they had to defend themselves – either against some big angry bear or each other. As it was, Ace rooted for Mr Sparky to wake up first – the bonds weren't made of kairoseki, you know.

"And now, let's get fucking going – not one more minute on this damned bitch of an island," Yami muttered as she wiped her hands against one another.

Ace couldn't help but agree. Yet … "Aren't you gonna see a doctor?"

Yami hmph-ed. "As if. That'd mean I'd have to stay here for longer. No thanks."

They had almost reached the outsets of town. Now they just had to get through safely and hop onto the raft – but a few minutes to find a doctor sure couldn't harm, could they? "Yami – you've just been hit by lightning. Are you _really sure_ you're okay?" Be it the anxiety or the tension – he was feeling nervous. He had to do something, anything. It didn't help that he was worrying about her as well.

"I'm sure I'm well enough not to have to stay here for lo–"

He had snatched her before she could finish, pushing her against a tree. She yelped, and Neela cried out angrily as she was forced to leave her place.

"See? You're not fine," he said, his face inches from hers. "You've been hit by _lightning_."

"Yah, because you've just slammed me against a tree!" she protested. "Anyone would feel _not fine_ after that!"

"I didn't _slam_ you," he disagreed. He had already ignited a small flame on his finger, his eyes searching for marks or wounds on her body. Her arms looked just fine, so he grabbed her top and tugged it upwards.

"_Hey!_ What are you doing!"

"Shut up. I'm checking you." There was nothing on her stomach either. "Turn around."

She scowled up at him as if she wanted to object, but finally, she did as he said. A large burn mark was gracing her back in an aggressive red colour. Slowly, he lifted his finger and touched it.

"OUCH!" she yelled, jumping in shock. "What the hell was that!"

"Burn mark. Let's go to a doctor."

"Hell no!"

"Hell yeah!"

They were standing opposing each other, she was scowling, he just looked determined. After a while, she sighed. "There's that ointment jar in my rucksack. Put that on, it should suffice."

He, too, gave a sigh. "Okay. Damn pighead."

"You're the pighead, pighead. Let's go and do that somewhere else. I don't want to stay here forever," she said and went ahead. Ace followed, shaking his head. Had he known when he had been about to fall in love with that mule of a woman, he'd have warned himself beforehand. Being with her was wearying – at the best of times. Sometimes he wanted to run in circles, screaming out loud. So why had he ever come to like her?

On the raft, she demanded that he give it his all to get away as fast as possible. She was staring at the island as it disappeared behind them until there was nothing more to stare at. Only then did she allow him to slow down, until they were finally just drifting on the ocean.

"Let's treat you," he said, pulling the little jar out of her bag, and she willingly but carefully raised the hem of her top until it was at the back of her neck. "There's another one," Ace grumbled and frowned at the other mark on her shoulder blade. "Should've forced you."

"Yah, sure. As if you could," she retorted, but she was smiling. "Jeez, that hurts! You brute."

"I'm not taking that from _you_, you know."

When the ointment was spread, he motioned for her to pull down her top. Not that he didn't like seeing her bare skin – oh, not at all – but seeing those marks made him angry again. He swore if someone hurt her, seriously, he'd get him for it. If that guy had succeeded in raping her – he didn't know what he'd done. Have him suffering excruciating pain. Burn him alive, perhaps. _After_ castrating him, that was.

He felt fire rise up from within, and took a deep breath. He had to calm down. In order to distract himself, he looked for a more harmless topic. "What was that ring you got from that guy?"

"He stole it. It was mine." She reached into her pocket, then leaned back against him, a silver ring with a red stone on her palm. It glistened in the fiery glow. Neela, who sat on Yami's knee, eyed the jewel curiously.

Ace touched her arm, noticing she was cold. He reached for his cloak and put it around her shoulders before putting his arms around her as well. She half turned her head, smiling softly. "Thank you."

He nodded, placing his chin on her shoulder and glancing at the ring in her hand, while at the same time breathing in deeply. Her scent, he liked it. Nothing in particular, just a bit of sweat, her shampoo, and the way she usually smelled.

"Is it important?"

"Yah." Her head tilted to the side all on its own, her cheek resting against his temple. "My father had it made for my mother. He said he found the stone, and it was the same colour as her hair."

"Pretty." The same as hers.

She chuckled. "He always said when I grew up I'd look just the same as her."

"Do you?"

"I guess."

"She must've been beautiful." He chuckled. Oh jeez, he knew he was complimenting her. But well – it was true, and she deserved it, especially now. And he wouldn't have her fall in love with him by being asshole-ish towards her, certainly not.

Yami shifted her head, placing a small kiss on his temple. "Charmer. What are you up to?"

"Nothing really." He took the ring from her, as she had begun to play with it, and slid it on her finger. "You didn't wear it before."

"I'm afraid of losing it."

"You've lost it now without even wearing it."

She gave a snort. "Twice, actually. Dai had it before. Stole it, that bastard."

"But now you have it back." In a surge of tenderness and 'I-don't-care-just-do-it', he nuzzled his nose against her neck, kissing her lightly just beneath her ear. If only they could stay like this for longer – oh, wait. They could!

"Yah," she said, smiling at the red stone on her finger. "Yah, I do."

* * *

**Author's note: **I think this is a nice and peaceful chapter ending befitting nice and peaceful Christmas (Well, at least to me it's peaceful, since I was unusually wise and started collecting presents in November this time). Enjoy your holidays, and Merry Christmas to you all.

_**Coming up:**_

"Kyaaa! What the hell!" Yami yelled, clinging to the mast while Ace desperately tried to regain control of the small vehicle. – major troubles ahead! Jeez, if they were real persons they'd probably come and try to kill me for what I'm having them go through just for my entertainment and weird imagination …

"Alright," Ace growled. "We'll do your stupid test. You'll let us go then, right? And give us food?" – Haha. Funny stuff coming.

"Hello my two lovebirds! Have fun completing your tasks. We're watching, so no cheating, right? May your love give you strength to face this trial. Gambatte!" – This is so much fun. For me, that is.


	50. Crazy Shit

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.**  
**

**Author's note: **_gambatte_ means _good luck_ or _do your best_ in Japanese. And yay, chapter 50 already! I'm so happy! And thanks to all of you guys to whom I can't reply! You make me happy too~

* * *

**Chapter 50: Crazy Shit**

"Wow, that … that looks like …"

"A wedding cake. In big." Ace raised his brows in surprise as he stared up ahead.

He was right. The island they were currently sailing towards was in the shape of a giant light-pink mountain, with terraces like the storeys of a cake. As far as they could see, it was plastered with what looked like heart-shaped windows, stucco, figures, and other kinds of decoration.

"A-are you sure we should go ahead?" Yami asked, staring incredulously.

Ace scratched the back of his neck. "I guess we need to. Our supplies have almost given out … But see it positively. At least on such an island, nobody's gonna try and kill you. Or so I suppose."

Yami snorted, folding her arms in front of her chest. "You know, for some reason, I got problems with believing that." She threw him a glance, and her forehead contorted into a frown. "Hey, you just want something to _eat_, admit it!"

Ace grinned, wiping drool off his mouth. He couldn't help it – they were sailing towards a giant cake, after all.

"Just like your brother. Always thinking about food."

"Food, food," Neela squawked, leaving her seat on Yami's shoulder to hop onto her lap, where the redhead was peeling an apple for the parrot.

"Heh." Ace's grin grew broader as he thought of his little brother. What could he be doing now? Something above crazy, that was for sure. But crazier than mounting a _wedding cake_? (Yes, actually, since Luffy was currently mounting the _clouds_, but never mind.)

"What do you think _your_ brother is doing now?"

Yami's head snapped around, and her frown grew deeper. "How the heck should _I_ know that? I already told you I don't even care! Where did _that_ come from?"

Ace shrugged. "Dunno. Just thought about it."

Yami huffed. "Well, _you_ tell me. You know him better than I do, anyway."

"Huh?" Ace unfolded his arms from behind his head. "Why me? Do I know him?"

"Like I said, you tell me. He's in your crew." Yami looked ahead, her face a strange mixture of determination, anger and sadness. Her eyes, the sadness was mostly in her eyes. Had Ace not known her for a bit now, he wouldn't have been able to tell, probably.

"In my …? Whoa! Who is it?"

Her mouth curled into a smile. "_You_ tell me. I'm always answering your questions, cowboy. Now answer mine and tell me yourself."

"That's not fair!" Ace whined. "Tell me, I'm curious!"

"Nope."

"Pleeeaaase!"

She snorted. "Where did you get that from? Luffy?"

"You, most likely." Ace put his arms around her waist, placing his chin on her shoulder. "Pretty please?"

Yami smirked. "Naw. I got four questions left. Before you haven't answered them, you've no right to ask me anything."

Ace pouted. "But I wanna know." _Whose little sister is making me crazy every day. In more than one sense. _

"No."

"And if I guess? Is it Jozu?"

"I'm not telling."

"Vista?"

"Shut up."

"Namur?"

She gave him an annoyed glance, and he grinned. "Am I right?"

"That's not funny, and I'm _not_ telling you."

"But I wanna know. Marco?"

"Shut up, shut up," Neela repeated after Yami, who beamed at her bird.

"Good girl. You're learning so fast!" She handed her another piece of apple, which the bird happily accepted.

"Haruta?"

Yami sweatdropped. "That doesn't even make sense."

By now, they had reached the outer part of the strange island-cake's harbour. Just when Ace decided to become serious, the water suddenly churned. The waves became higher and higher, making them feel like being juggled with.

"Kyaaa! What the hell!" Yami yelled, clinging to the mast while Ace desperately tried to regain control of the small vehicle. The waves were still growing, and something was definitely off. Slowly but steadily, they were carrying the two pirates towards the island, and there was nothing they could do to avoid it.

A few moments before they reached the harbour, as suddenly as they had come up, the waves stopped again, making the raft fall back down quite brutally. Yami squeaked as she was almost flung off, and Neela did the same, fluttering after them.

"What the fuck was –" Ace stopped in his tracks when he perceived the people standing right before them. They were clad in pink, three women in cloaks, and they were watching them, bright smiles on their faces.

"Welcome!" one of them said, almost sang. She had hair that cascaded down in golden locks until almost to her waist, and sparkling green eyes. "We've been awaiting you."

"Creepy," Yami whispered just as loud as for him to hear. Ace couldn't help but agree.

"You were the one who couldn't wait long enough," the second woman, a brunette with curly shoulder-long hair decorated with pink butterfly-shaped hair slides and caramel-like eyes, giggled, playfully elbowing the first speaker in the ribs. "I must apologise for our rude behaviour. We're always so excited when tourists visit our little empire."

"Empire? Yah, right. Empire of the Huge and Almighty Wedding Cake," Yami snorted.

"That ... that was _you_?" Ace asked incredulously. "That ... thing with the water?!"

"My, my," the third woman sighed, flicking a lock of her deep black hair out of her ebony face. The rest of it was pinned up into an elaborate construct on the back of her head. "Now you have frightened them. That is not nice, Evangelaine, Revan."

The two women giggled. "But we love to play with our dear visitors!"

_Dear visitors?_ Ace frowned, internally readying himself for battle.

"What the hell do you mean?" Yami demanded, crossing her arms. "What do you want with us?"

The blonde woman smiled. "Oh my. Please, don't be frightened –"

"I'm _not_ frightened!" Yami glared at them.

"Please, excuse my sisters, they are young and do not know better," the black-haired woman said, smiling politely. "You must know we love visitors. Please come ashore, you must be tired."

"Yeah, after that dirty trick you just pulled," Yami snorted, planting her feet firmly on the raft's deck. Ace did the same. How stupid did those women think them? As if they would set one foot on this stupid –

The waves jolted up all of a sudden, catapulting them both onto the pier, along with Ace's raft. They fell to the ground right in front of the women's feet, and Ace jumped up right away. "Now you've done it!" he growled, fire erupting on the palm of his hand.

"Oh my," Revan, the brunette woman, sighed, waving it off. "What have we found ourselves this time?"

"A nice and young couple who will participate in our Love Ordeal Parcours, of course," the woman apparently called Evangelaine stated.

"We will _what_?" Yami hissed, placing one hand on Ace's arm. "Cut that crap! We'll just go away, so can you perhaps sell us some food and stuff ...?"

"I am afraid that is not possible," the black-haired woman said. "Before you leave us again, you will have to participate."

"No way in hell," Ace growled. Who did those bitches think they were? Lovebirds?

"No way in hell!" Neela repeated, squawking indignantly.

"We are afraid it has to be," the woman said, her voice firm. "Those who do not participate cannot continue their way." A dark and menacing aura suddenly seemed to surround her, and a shiver ran down Ace's spine.

"You can have anything you like, if you win," Evangelaine smiled. "Right, Laure?"

Ace and Yami looked at each other, frowning deeply. "Another island full of lunatics," Yami whispered. "Better get off."

"How? They control the water around their stupid island," Ace whispered back. "We can't get away."

Yami gave a groan, and he could really understand her. He had no good feeling with this.

"How have you decided?" Revan asked, excitedly hopping from one foot to the next.

"Alright," Ace growled. "We'll do your stupid test. You'll let us go then, right? And give us food?"

"Oh, but we're not forcing you, are we, sisters?" Evangelaine looked at her companions with wide, innocent eyes.

"You can have anything you want, if you win," Laure nodded, smiling politely.

_Bitches_, Ace thought. His great mood was spoilt now. _We won't even get any information about Teach on here. _

"Please follow us." The three women turned as one, their pink cloaks swaying as they went.

Ace and Yami glanced at each other resignedly. _Seems like we have no choice_, her eyes seemed to say.

* * *

"First trial: Love Horrors!"

"We aren't even a cou-"

"Have fun, and beware of our little zombies!" Revan sing-songed, interrupting them, as they were ushered into a tunnel, through a pair of pink-lacquered doors that said 'Love Tunnel of Horrors'.

"Jeez," Yami muttered when the double doors slammed shut behind them, and they were left standing in a dimly lit room with no plaster or furniture whatsoever. "Just what is it with me and all those mad freaks?"

"If only we knew," Ace sighed, scratching his head. "Dammit. Waste of time. We just need some supplies."

Yami threw him a quick glance. "Waste of time, yah." She was impatient too, but Ace seemed somehow strange.

He sighed. "What should we do?"

"What do they want us to do?" Yami shrugged. "I've no idea."

As if on cue, suddenly a floating voice came from everywhere around them, or so it seemed. They both jumped in surprise, trying to find the speaker.

"Hello my two lovebirds! Have fun completing your tasks. We're watching, so no cheating, right? May your love give you strength to face this trial. Gambatte!"

They both sweatdropped as they looked at each other. "They can't be serious."

At the same moment, suddenly the floor opened. It went so fast they had not time to even be shocked, and Yami remembered the weird moment when she knew she was going to fall but wasn't quite falling yet.

Then, they fell into the darkness. She didn't know if she had screamed, but she supposed she had. Down, down, down, it seemed endless. The thoughts had left her head, replaced by that strange pressure that always comes with falling.

_Boing. _

Yami gasped when her body hit something hard but rather elastic, and she bounced upwards again. From the feeling and the sounds, she could assume that Ace had landed next to her, but it took a while until all that bouncing let up.

A light flashed somewhere over their heads, and Yami squinted and covered her eyes with one hand against the brightness.

"Fuck! What was that!" she heard Ace curse, and knew he was okay. "You alright?"

"Yah, I guess. What's this, a trampoline?" she mused, looking around while still shielding her eyes. Indeed, the thing they were sitting on was a large plane of elastic material replacing the floor, dented where they had landed. On the far side, there was a plain wooden door.

"Jeez," Ace muttered, adjusting the hat on his head. "I'm so fed up with this."

"Don't tell me," Yami snorted, taking out her lipstick and refreshing the colour after she had held out her hand for Neela to land.

"Now's not the time for this," Ace said as he frowned at her. "Let's …"

When nothing came, Yami gazed up, unfazed by his gruff tone, and could only barely pull back the hand that held the lipstick before Ace's figure slumped down, causing her to bounce around again and almost smear a large dark red streak right across her face.

"Yah, no time for make-up but for sleeping, huh?" Actually, it had only been a matter of time. Even though Ace had sometimes fallen asleep during their travels on the raft, the last time had been before their visit to Lunatic Island (Number One).

She put her lipstick away and crawled towards him to turn him around like she always did. And as always, she found herself fascinated by his sleeping face. His mouth was gaping slightly, and his hair was tousled all over his forehead. A certain peacefulness enveloped him, that kind of peacefulness that seems to be immanent in most sleepers. Ace had perfected that position over the years, she was sure.

Sighing, she sat down cross-legged and started playing with locks of his hair, occasionally counting his freckles to make sure they hadn't suddenly multiplied since their visit to Alabasta (they had).

When he woke up ten minutes later, he seemed to have forgotten all about his impatience, and (since they didn't have that many possibilities) they decided to try the door.

Behind it, as in the very first room, was a dim light coming from somewhere they could not quite place. They stood in a plain corridor, narrow and with a low ceiling, whose end they couldn't see because of a turning a few metres ahead.

"You coming?" called Yami, who had already walked into it, while Ace was fiddling around with his shoelaces.

"Where else should I go?" he sighed before following her. "You know, I'm somehow waiting for something to happen. I mean, this falling and stuff was scary, but I wouldn't call it 'horror' or something."

Yami shrugged. She just had a similar thought. But who knew, their stupid 'trial' or whatever wasn't over yet.

"Cowboy! Cowboy! Woof!" Neela said, climbing around on Yami's shoulder. "Woof, woof, ouch!"

"No kidding," Yami mumbled. "If this is over, I'm gonna have a good long rest on a vacation island or something, with an umbrella in my drink, a bikini and lots of sun. I'm not gonna think about stupid Marines or girls in pink –"

"UAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Yami stopped short. Behind her, Ace did the same, comfortably looking over her shoulder. Yami opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Instead, she raised her hand, pointing at the thing that had just appeared behind a corner in front of them, effectively blocking their way.

"What the …!" Ace muttered.

The creature looked vaguely human, with two arms and legs and walking uprightly, but glistened in an unhealthy green as if covered in goo. It had fangs and a thin split tongue that slithered around in front of its … mouth-slit or whatever. Glowing red eyes stared at them unblinkingly.

"Uhh … what is that?" Yami asked, finally having found her tongue again.

"I … don't know? But didn't one of those nutcases mention zombies?"

"UUAAAAAAAAAHHH!" the creature repeated in an ear-shattering volume, and they both held their ears so as not to become deaf.

"Jeez! Shut up!" Yami ranted, glaring at the thing. Neela fluttered around, squawking and barking like mad.

"What now? Should we kill it or what?"

"No idea." She looked around and at the ceiling, calling out, "Should we kill that thing?" At Ace's quizzical glance, she shrugged. "They said they were watching."

But no one answered. When the creature started shuffling in their direction, Ace's patience was at an end. "Let me through," he said, pushing Yami aside and sneering while having a bow of fire appear in his hand. The arrow followed. "Hah, look here. I'm the great Fire Archer, and it's now time for roasted … uh, whatever."

When he 'shot' the arrow, however, it whizzed straight through the thing, and suddenly it flickered like an electrostatic picture before finally disappearing.

"Seems like we _should_ kill it, after all." Ace seemed satisfied, immediately moving further forward. There was no trace left of the creature, and they walked on.

By the time they had reached the white door flashing _EXIT_ at them, they had come across a creepy-looking clown, a dinosaur man, and some white translucent thing hovering over the ground, which Ace was convinced was a hobgoblin. Upon passing through the doors, blinded by the sudden light, they were met by their favourite three pink-clad hosts looking slightly cross.

"What were you doing? You almost failed!" Evangelaine complained, impatiently stomping her foot so that her golden locks danced around her form.

"Yah, maybe because we're not a cou –" Yami started but was once again interrupted.

"However, you did manage to get at least _some_ points. When you landed on the trampoline, you at least asked for her well-being," Laure explained to Ace, never forgetting to smile politely. "Although you did not reach for her, or try to catch her when you were falling."

"Yeah, maybe because I was _falling_," Ace snorted. "And we're not –"

"Then, what you did when he fell asleep was quite cute. We approve of it," Revan told Yami, beaming at her.

"Cute? What did you do?" Ace asked curiously, and for the first time in her life, Yami felt the heat of a blush rising in her face.

_What! I don't freaking _blush, _dammit!_

"Your behaviour when entering the tunnel, however, was not approved of. You let her take the lead, which is not the right thing to do when entering foreign territory. The corridor was narrow and you could not have protected her in case of danger."

"_What?_" Ace asked incredulously. "Why is it _my_ fault when she decides to go first?"

"Well, cowboy, you should have _protected_ weak little me," Yami smiled, her voice laced with pure sarcasm, and Ace shuddered, obviously remembering the last time he had called her weak.

Laure, though, nodded sincerely. "That is right. A man has to protect his woman at all times."

Yami kept quiet, which required quite a lot of effort. She forced her face expressionless so as not to show these women all of her disgust at their antiquated point of view.

"You also did not shield her with your body when an enemy appeared."

"Enemy," Ace mumbled, shaking his head. "More like, stupid heap of goo. And I did fight it, didn't I?"

"Yes, indeed. And you gave her a fine display of your strength, as expected of a dominant male like you who wants to impress his girlfriend. Which is what gained you the points you needed to pass." Evangelaine smiled happily. "So now, follow us. We're gonna have so much fun!"

"Doubtless," Yami groaned. The two of them shared a long, agonised glance.

_Seems like this crazy shit is far from over. _

* * *

**Author's note:** Yeah, and she's right! Crazy shit FTW!

_**Coming up: **_

Yami shrugged. "Guess they want us to …" She indicated to the bed, shrugging again. – heehee. Fun things ahead.

He chuckled even though his throat was dry as sandpaper. "No, I love you more." – wait, whaaaaat?

"Could you give me some of that chocolate pudding, please?" she asked in her best honey-sugar-silk voice, blinking innocently up at him. – Yami's hellishly devious plan …


	51. Acting

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 51: Acting**

"So where are we now?"

"Why do you even ask?" Ace muttered, rubbing his head under the hat. He sounded a tad annoyed. "How the heck should I know?"

Yami sighed, giving him a glance from the corner of her eyes. Ace's mood had constantly worsened. They had gone through a so-called 'love photo shoot' with a fluffy pink dress slash white suit ("your faces don't look happy enough, I fear"), had had to row over a lake ("the atmosphere was not romantic enough"), and had had to complete a race course while bound to each other by one leg each ("you didn't look like you had enjoyed it at all"). She could understand why he wasn't exactly happy – she wasn't, either. In fact, she was more than annoyed herself. Yet they were in the exact same situation here.

The situation being standing all alone in a small, candle-lit room with a heart-shaped, dark red-sheeted bed, red carpets and walls, and a pompous golden chandelier majestically hanging from the red ceiling.

Yami shrugged. "Guess they want us to …" She indicated to the bed, shrugging again. Yet, she didn't even manage to crack a smile. Getting Ace into bed was exactly what she wanted, but here? Like this? No way in hell.

"Are you crazy? No way I'm –"

"Calm down, cowboy. Jeez." She frowned at him. "It's not like it's _my_ suggestion."

"Yeah, yeah," he sighed after a pause. "Sorry."

"It's okay." She made a few steps in his direction, lightly putting her hand on his arm. "What's up?"

Ace let out a groan. "What's up? What's freaking up? We're on yet another stupid island with crazy people making us do strange things! I'm so fed up with this! At this rate, I'll never find that bastard in this life!"

_Oh. So that's the way the bunny hops. _

She often forgot his true purpose. Moments like this, which had her remember again, made her feel weird. She felt a pain somewhere in her chest, and unconsciously took a hand up to rub as if that would make it better.

She would have to keep it in her head that he wasn't there because she was, but because he had a goal which he wanted to obtain no matter what, with or without her being there. Even if she forgot, he never would.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to calm down, even when that was the least thing she wanted. But it wasn't only about getting out of here so they'd save time – she didn't trust those creepy bitches, and even if they hadn't done anything harmful to them yet, they had managed to _freaking move the sea_ so it spit them out right there. In short, they probably had the power to keep them here if they wanted. And that was something Yami would rather not experience. So she started to usher Ace in the direction of the giant-sized bed. "Come, I'll make you relax."

He turned around to glare at her. "I said I'm not –"

"Yeah, baka cowboy," she huffed, lightly hitting him over the head. "Major déjà vu here. You've said that already, what, about a thousand times? What I mean is, sit the heck down and I'll massage your shoulders. If you get any more tense I'll arrange you in the corner as my personal plaster statue."

He visibly and immediately relaxed, letting her guide him to the bed, and sat down compliantly. "Sorry," he muttered, and the rueful glance he gave her made her giggle again. "A massage sounds fine."

Yami climbed onto the bed behind him. It was soft and cosy, and oh how she wanted to just stay here and sleep for a bit, but a plan had formed in her head. Now she just needed Ace to play along, and they'd be out of here in no time.

When she placed her hands on his shoulders, which were hard as stone, and started kneading them, which was not easy at all, she bent forward until her nose brushed his ear. He winced just a little bit. "Okay, listen up, I got a plan. First thing you do when I stop talking is putting your hand on any part of me and smiling, saying 'Yeah, I love you too.' Got that?" she said just loud enough for him to hear.

He needed just a moment of hesitation to understand what she wanted him to do. He put his hand on her knee next to him and slightly turned his head, giving her a smile that, she had to admit, didn't look faked at all. In fact, it looked so enamoured that she had to forcibly prevent her mouth from gaping. "Yeah, I love you too." His hand on her knee went up to stroke her thigh. "This feels so good."

_Oh, good. Adding things on your own._ Either he had caught the meaning of her actions, or he really meant it. Anyway, it was actually helpful.

She smiled back, leaning in for a peck on his cheek. On the way, she whispered, "They're overhearing. Let's give them what they want."

His hand was still fondling her leg, and he was giving little groans as she continued massaging his shoulders and neck. When she was finished, her fingers ached from his all too tense muscles. "Ouch. I can't go on any longer."

"Do they hurt?" Ace asked, fully turning around and gathering both her hands to bring them up to his mouth, kissing each fingertip. He climbed further onto the bed, taking her with him until they were lying next to each other in a tender embrace, while Neela had to hop off of Yami's shoulder and decided to fly over to the chandelier.

Ace's eyes were smiling with him as he brought his face close to hers, full of feelings, and Yami found it hard not to smile in return. She softly caressed his cheek, and one of his hands became lost in the depths of the back of her shirt.

When he spoke again, shivers ran down her spine – for real. "Do you know how much I love you?" Accompanied by tender kisses on her lips.

How he said that – she was almost led to believe it. His voice so soft, she'd never heard it like that. Pretty words that made her want to trust in them. She gulped in disbelief of her own foolishness, then, remembering her purpose, sighed. "I love you even more." How easy it was, confessing her love to him. Even if it was fake.

* * *

How he ached for her words. How he ached for that face. How he ached for her whole body.

Sweetest heaven, made up of cruellest hell.

He chuckled even though his throat was dry as sandpaper. "No, I love you more."

_That's not even a lie. Aren't I pathetic. _

He rolled over to lie half on top of her, his face lowered so that his hair-ends were tickling her face, his mind determined to ignore the way her breasts were deliciously pressing up at him. Instead, he kissed her, having an outlet for his emotions for her for once, enjoying it despite the whole situation. He kissed her with all of his feelings, tasting her sweet mouth, kissing her as if his life depended on it. Which it did, maybe. At least in this moment, he forgot about the rest, about this room and the ones who made it, about this stupid game (which, just for this moment, wasn't quite so stupid anymore), about her true feelings, about his destination.

When they broke apart, her face was positively flushed, and she was panting slightly. For a moment, he was almost convinced that she wasn't acting anymore. But that was probably just his own wishful thinking, as always. His love-stupid brain was deceiving and betraying him.

Yet, he managed to remember what he had to do next – his hand slid beneath the front of her top on its own accord (not that it was such a difficult task, watching his own hand do something it would have done anyway). He felt her soft skin. How he liked this. It made him want to hope they'd be locked into rooms more often in the future.

"Do you …?" she breathed.

"I think we have to," he answered, lightly kissing her nose. "Or they won't let us out."

"But …!" Yami protested, wriggling around until she was propped upon her elbows, staring at him with wide eyes. Jeez, that girl had talent in looking innocent and frightened, he got to hand it to her.

"But … I don't want to lose my virginity like this!"

Ace barely suppressed a snort.

"With so many people watching …! Oh, Ace, I can't!"

She said his name. He just loved it when she did that. It sounded so erotically charged from her tongue. Always.

"I understand that, darling. Come here." He swept her up and into his arms, breathing in her scent as she buried her face in the side of his neck, pretending to sob. He petted her head. "Shhh, darling. Shhh."

Now came the more difficult part of his acting. He turned his face up towards the ceiling, searching for a speaker or camera with his eyes, and frowned deeply. Okay, that was easiest of all.

"Can't you see she doesn't want? Why are you forcing people to mate before your eyes? We haven't slept with each other yet, and this is a very private thing, just between the both of us! Please, do not force her to!"

Silence except a few fake hiccups from Yami.

_Dammit. I was so convinced this would work. _

"I'm sorry," he said to Yami when he was sure nothing would happen. "But I won't force you no matter what happens. They can threaten me with what they like, I will never force you to do something you don't like."

A grinding noise resounded through the room, and a door appeared at the far end. It opened as if by an invisible hand. They both looked up, looked at each other, and grinned. Yami pressed one last exhilarated kiss on his lips – well, he hoped it wouldn't be the last – and nothing could keep them there anymore.

"Hah. I just knew that'd work," she whispered on their way out. She had grabbed his hand and dragged him along – not that she really had to drag him, of course – as they made their way through the dark and plain stone corridor beyond the door.

"You're the queen of trickery," Ace snickered, feeling slightly better than before. Anyone would feel better after kisses like that.

"Yah, I know, right?" Yami giggled before becoming serious again when stopping in front of another door that blocked their way. "Now what?"

Ace shrugged. "Open it. What else can we do?" He hated feeling that helpless, yet he knew that their way out led through this nonsense. He was even kinda curious as to what stupid stuff awaited them next.

Yami opened the door, and they were immediately hit by a wave of scents that overwhelmed their poor, deprived olfactory senses.

_Delicious!_ it flashed through Ace's head, and before he could regain control of his body, his legs had taken him through the door and into the room to where a richly laid table was waiting for them, pulling Yami along as he was still holding her hand.

"Th– that's …"

"Food, yah," she finished his stammering and gave him a curious look from beneath raised brows. "You're actually drooling. And your eyes are sparkling. Funny."

"F-f-food …"

His brain was empty except that overly delicious smell. There was just about everything: stir-fried vegetable rice, fried cheese noodles, meat soup, a giant turkey garnished with potatoes, roasted chicken, several sauces, different kinds of salads, sliced fruits, ice cream in all kinds of colours, highly-built cakes, cookies; in short: everything his famished stomach could possibly imagine. Well, of course it wasn't his stomach that did the imagining but his ravenous mind, but Ace often thought of his bottomless pit of a stomach as an individual being. One that could talk, too: he believed the growling could be heard right back in the room they had previously been in.

Yami chuckled. "Can't say I'm particularly sad with all this … Oi, cowboy."

He hadn't even noticed his having made a few steps forward, and who would blame him? This was just too awfully delicious!

"Oi. Portgas. Will you just stay still for a minute and let me think?"

_A minute? No way._ His feet were moving all by themselves, shuffling further forward.

"_Yo, Ace!_"

His head whipped around upon hearing his name. Even in her obviously annoyed tone, could his name sound any sexier?

"Could you stop and think a moment, yes?" She grabbed his wrist to hold him back, since she probably knew what would happen next. Him … starved … and food … delicious … best combination ever.

* * *

"Okay, we need to work out what they want from us," Yami whispered just loud enough as for him to hear. "They won't give us this just for the fun of it, you hear?"

Obviously he didn't, as he just blankly stared at her face, before breaking out into a wide grin. "It really turns me on when you say my name."

_Oh jeez. Well, at least that's ranking above food in his mental hierarchy. I should be mighty proud. _

She rolled her eyes. "We're in the middle of a crappy love game here! And here I thought you wanted to get out as fast as possible?"

He had resumed to staring at the food, drooling and taking one step in its direction, simply pulling her over.

"Cowboy!" she hissed. "What about the plan? What about _Blackbeard_?"

"Can wait," he mumbled, and Yami's surprise made her withdraw her hand from his arm. So if one piece of meat could make him kiss her, a whole dinner could make him forget about his main goal?

She heaved a sigh and saw Ace, in flopping down on one of the heavily cushioned chairs, already grab some chicken with one hand and a potato with the other. Bless her talent for acting.

Yami took a seat next to Ace, forcing a smile on her lips as she watched him stuffing his mouth. His hat had retreated to the back of his neck and his hair was dangling wildly around his face with the motions of his jaw.

"You're starved, darling, aren't you?" she said softly, caressing his upper arm.

He didn't even look up as he squeezed out "Hell yeah!" in-between chews, a bone sticking out of the right corner of his mouth and pieces of already-chewed meat flying across the table as he tried to speak. It took Yami all of her control over her facial expressions to not screw her face up in disgust. _Mental note to myself: don't make him speak while eating. _

Neela, meanwhile, had happily indulged in the variety of fruits on the table, making a mess out of anything that crossed her way. She seemed to have fun, too. Well, at least _she_ could feed _herself_.

Yami chuckled. "Poor honey, you haven't eaten for so long. Here, let me feed you."

If her words hadn't caused him to turn his head towards her in astonishment, her overly sweet tone did. His chewing slowed as Yami stabbed her fork into a piece of fried meat, heaving it onto her plate and starting to cut it. She offered him a forkful of it with a squealy-sounding "Say aaaaaaah!", and surprised as he was, he obeyed.

_Jeez, what the hell have they made me do? What the fuck? This is one of the stupidest things I've ever done!_

Yet, she managed to have the smile stay glued to her lips as she fed him bits of meat, rice, vegetables and salad for almost half an hour. When she felt the trickles of sweat come down her forehead from the exertion it cost her to play nice and soft-soap him in honeyed tones, she quietly grated out from between clenched teeth, "I'm fucking hungry too you bastard!", which finally seemed to make him regain control of himself.

"I'm sorry," he said, the smoothness in his voice almost flipping her into a rage. "I've neglected you … sweetheart."

_Sweetheart my fucking ass, you glutton!_

Thus it came that now Yami herself, seething with rage on the inside but perfectly happy on the outside, got to enjoy being fed by him. The first few bits were hard to gulp down since her throat felt constricted from all her anger, but then she felt the taste explode in her mouth like fireworks of flavour.

_Oh. Ooohh!_

She had never tasted food this delicious. Maybe it came from the fact that she, too, was positively starved, which hadn't helped to build sympathies for Ace, seeing as she couldn't even have had something for herself. Now she didn't care anymore, she just devoured everything she was given, until she had tried a bit of everything on the table.

"Dessert?" Ace asked, and she nodded, strangely satisfied. She had noticed how he had watched her eat, and the expression on his face told her that he enjoyed it more than she would've thought. Which made her instantly develop a devious little plan.

"Could you give me some of that chocolate pudding, please?" she asked in her best honey-sugar-silk voice, blinking innocently up at him.

"Yeah, sure. Anything." He reached out for the giant dish of brown aromatical mixture, dragging it closer. But when he grabbed a spoon to scoop some of it onto a plate, she held him back by placing her hand on his wrist.

"Not like that. I'd rather …" She giggled, seemingly shy, and bit her lip. "I'd rather lick it from your finger."

His brows shot up, and Yami very nearly broke out in a laughing fit. The way his mouth gaped was just too hilarious. A sight for the gods. She regretted not carrying a camera around to record it.

"B-but …" he said, taken aback by her sudden rashness. "Why would you … I haven't even washed my fingers, you know … Don't want you to become sick and all …"

She held back a snort at the half-assed way he tried to cork-screw out of it. "But darling! I love the way you taste!" At this, his brows disappeared into his hairline. "Together with the pudding, it will taste heavenly!"

She saw him swallow hard, still gaping at her, and smiled, pretending to be happy. Which she was, just not in the way it was supposed to look.

"Okay," he finally mumbled, trying to reign in his derailed facial expressions. With an emotionless face, he dipped his finger into the dish, scooping up some of the chocolate stuff and bringing it up to her face. She obediently opened her mouth, leaning forward to take his finger in and taste the chocolate (or so it would seem). She closed her lips around it and her eyes fell shut as she concentrated on not only licking the pudding off his limb but making it as erotic as possible. She drew back with her lips closed, cleaning his finger, then bent back down again as she let her tongue swirl around it in long, hard strokes.

When she withdrew and opened her eyes, swallowing the pudding in her mouth, his face was quite flushed. Still trying to keep his expression neutral, he was clenching his teeth so as not to have his mouth fall open.

Yami snickered inwardly. _Annnnd success. Men are so damn easy to manipulate._

"More, please," she demanded, deliberately pushing down her voice so that it sounded rather throaty. She saw his other hand clench into a fist, and let her happy smile disguise her malicious glee.

She had him continue until a remarkable part of the pudding was gone before she let him off the hook. He was sweating rather profusely by then, and she thought he'd bite his own teeth into dust if he had to go on any longer.

"Thank you darling, that was wonderful!" she squeaked, sliding into his lap and kissing him on his lips before whispering, "Payback is a bitch, cowboy," teasing him just a little bit more by shifting around right over where a major erection was tenting his jeans and enjoying how his breathing became hard and shallow. When she wanted to jump up again to walk towards where a door had just miraculously appeared, she felt herself grabbed and held in place.

"Don't. Stand. Up," he hissed. "_Please!_"

She raised her brows. "Ah? You want me to stay, huh? Isn't that just how much you love me," she purred, rubbing her nose on his.

"I … guess I deserve that," he mumbled, suddenly appearing quite contrite.

"Hell yeah you do." She gave him a reproachful sidelong glance before starting to snicker. "You know, that kinda gave me ideas."

He looked a little worried. "What ideas?"

"Oh, I don't know, like, starving you for a few days and then covering my naked body with foodstuff …" She saw his eyes becoming hooded and knew he was imagining what she'd just presented him. She laughed.

"Could you stop that for now? Or I can't let you stand up ever again."

* * *

_**Coming up: **_

"Yes, I love her more than anything," Yami heard Ace say, and looking up in surprise, she found him gazing down, an odd expression on his freckled face and his eyes shining softly. – Awww cowboy …

"Now, to our last game: 'How Well Do You Know Your Partner?'" – uh-oh …

Yami frowned before it dawned on her. She had just ignored her last chance to score a point. Which meant, she'd failed. – major UH-OH …


	52. I'm Not Telling!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

**Author's note: **Sorry for the long wait. Next chapter was a little hard to write, you'll see why. Anyway, hope you enjoy this one, and I'll take this opportunity to tell all of you guys how much I appreciate your comments and how much I love it that you like this story. Thanks a lot. I'll go to bed now, since it's past midnight now and my dog's already waiting for me to stand up tomorrow and take him for his well-deserved stroll. I can tell, he's lying right next to me, the little stinker. (Actually he's not little at all ...) So, anyway, wish you a good night/day/whatever time it is where you currently are.

* * *

**Chapter 52: I'm Not Telling!**

"Best. Grades. Ever!"

Yami barely withstood the urge to scrunch up her face in disgust as Evangelaine hopped in the air, giggling like a lunatic and clapping her hands to emphasise her squealed words. Revan was grinning widely, and even Laure cracked a small, dignified smile, nodding appreciatively.

Gazing up at Ace from the corners of her eyes, Yami's mouth twitched just a tiny bit. His eyes met hers, and she saw the same resolve not to snort, or laugh out loud, as was probably seen on her face right now.

"How you stood in for her! Like a real hero! And you were so cute together! Like when you massaged his shoulders because he was moody! And you were holding hands! And you fed him despite being hungry yourself, that's right, a woman should always put the man first, and you splendidly fulfilled your task of making him happy! And then you did the same because her hungry waves finally reached you, and you fed her with your fingers, and ohhh that was so hot and you were so cute annnd …!" Evangelaine was hopping in circles now, her hair dancing around her like golden waves in a curling stream.

Yami bit her lip, seriously trying not to become irked. _Hungry waves my ass. That was pure, undiluted loathing. Screw those bitches for their outdated image of women. _

Well, at least they had passed this stupid trial now.

"You must really love each other," Revan mused, her eyes glittering. "The way you interact … it's just perfect!"

"Yes, I love her more than anything," Yami heard Ace say, and looking up in surprise, she found him gazing down, an odd expression on his freckled face and his eyes shining softly.

_Huh?_

It took a moment for her to respond. "Uh, yah, I, I love him too!" Obviously, she wasn't the only one gifted with theatrical prowess.

They seemed to buy it, too, since Evangelaine was sent off into 'ultra squealing mode' again.

Laure smiled at them. "Well now, there is only one more test awaiting you. If you pass it, you win. Unfortunately, even if your latter performance was rather magnificent, you did not do so well before. If you lose the next test, you will lose the trial as a whole."

Yami's face fell. _Damn! I thought we were so great they'd let us pass anyway!_

"We'll manage that, huh, darling?" came Ace's voice from above, and she forced a smile on her face as she turned towards him.

"Absolutely, my dearest!" she answered, seemingly confident, and tiptoed to place a kiss on his cheek that made Revan giggle madly.

As they were led away once again, Yami elbowed Ace and whispered, "I take my hat off to your amazing acting skills, cowboy. For a moment there, you baffled even me."

"Yeah, right," he mumbled, smiling to himself.

* * *

"Alright! So, now we need you two to separate temporarily. Don't worry, you'll be together again in the blink of an eye!" Evangelaine beamed, winking at them. Yami almost puked a bit. She threw Ace an agonised glance, which Revan seemed to take for a longing expression, for she started giggling again.

Sighing, Yami let herself be led away to face the last of their tasks. Evangelaine motioned her to follow into a well-lit room with pink walls and ceiling, a cushioned sofa, coffee table, and an armchair in front of it all.

"Sit down, sit down. No – I'll be taking the armchair, thank you!"

Yami flopped down onto the sofa, feeling slightly nervous despite the fact that she was probably way stronger than all of them together. But you never knew with crazy people – better be on the safe side. They had the power to hold them here for the rest of their lives, if they so felt. There was no joke that could distract from that.

"Take a drink. The fruits are for you, too!" Evangelaine smiled proudly as if she had plucked them herself. To evade nuisances, Yami poured herself a glass of water and took an apple, nibbling on it and holding it for Neela on her shoulder to rip pieces out from time to time.

Her golden-haired host took a clipboard from somewhere to the side before sitting down on the armchair gracefully. "Ahh, so much better. Now, to our last game: 'How Well Do You Know Your Partner?'"

Yami frowned. This couldn't be any good, of that she was sure. If they asked questions about Ace's past, or his crew, or whatever, she didn't know anything.

"Relax," Evangelaine smiled as if she had guessed Yami's thoughts. Which didn't bode well for Yami. "The first part will be ten questions about you. Your boyfriend is being asked the same. Then, you have to guess the other's answers. Isn't that fun?" she squealed, clapping her hands.

"Yah, fun," Yami mumbled, driving one hand through her hair. She could only hope this wouldn't end up in a disaster.

"Alright! Are you ready?"

Yami mumbled something under her breath, which Evangelaine seemed to take as agreement.

"First question! What is your favourite colour?"

_Easy enough._ "Red. Dark red."

"Second question! Where have you spent your childhood?"

_Wait, where have I – does he know I've … huh, I guess I told him._ "On a ship." _And I already know where he's lived. Okay. Okaaay. Deep breath. _

"Third question! Where would you like to go if you could choose from all the places in the world?"

_Uh-oh. Someone cheered too soon._ "I, uhh …" To be honest, she had to do a little thinking here herself. Where would she want to go? And where would she want to go for Ace to know what she chose? _Argh! Okay, lie. Just lie. Flatter them. Or cowboy. Or whatever._ "To a lonely island. With Ace."

"That's so cute!" Evangelaine squealed. "Okay, fourth question! Where would you hate to go more than anything else in the world?"

_Marine outpost. War zone. Calm Belt. Bathroom of a Marine. Bedroom of a Marine. Living room of a Marine. Kitchen of a Marine. Fucking Wedding Cake Island. A lonely island with just Ace – wait, that'd be great. After hours and hours of boredom, I could probably convince him to – _

_Not. Fucking. Helpful. _

But – one moment. There was somewhere, and he knew … "Mahogany Island."

"Ah, alright. Okay! Fifth question: if you only had one day left to live, what would be your wish as to how you'd like to spend it?"

_In bed with Ace. _"In bed with Ace." She forced a blush onto her cheeks, which made her interviewer fan herself with the clipboard.

"Uhh. Oh, yes, that sounds like a … great idea …" She fanned a bit more, until her own blush had receded. "Phew. On to the sixth question. If you had one wish to your partner, what would it be?"

"For him to sleep with me." Yeesh, this was all about sex, wasn't it? Well, at least in her head it was.

"O-kay," Evangelaine smiled, resuming the fanning. "You really can't wait, can you?"

"I don't want to die a virgin," Yami said politely, remembering their lie from before and almost snorting out loud. _Die a virgin. Hah. That train departed five years ago. _"And I want it to be with him." After thinking for a bit, she added, "I love him."

"Oh, we can see that very clearly. It's a great thing the two of you have."

_Yah, right. Snort. _

"Seventh question. What are your plans for the future?"

_Argh. Now here are the problems._ "I …" she started, interrupting herself. _I don't know, dammit!_ But considering what they probably wanted to hear, she answered, "I want to be together with Ace. Forever." She could only hope he'd do the same and get them what they wanted. That was easier for her, too, after all. Or else she didn't know how to answer all of this without any clue.

"Really, this is so cute!" Evangelaine got into a squealing fit again, which left Yami some time to wipe the sweat off her forehead.

As if she had sensed her owner's distress, Neela rubbed her green beak on Yami's ear. "Ouch," she croaked. "Shut up, shut up." Yami smiled weakly. _Yah, Evie. Listen to my girl and just shut the fuck up. _

A favour which wouldn't be granted to her. "Eighth question! If you could wish for a gift from your partner, an item of your choice, what would it be?"

Yami's smile grew as she turned her head, looking in the black, pearly eye of her parrot. She took a hand up to tickle her on her beautiful, white chest. "He's already given me the greatest present ever."

Evangelaine looked astounded, yet happy. "Is that your answer?"

Yami nodded before her mind came back, kicking her in the face. How the heck should he guess what the answer was? He wouldn't … ohh jeez. "C-can I change it?"

"I'm truly sorry, but you already confirmed that this is your answer. Now, on to the ninth question. The day you first met each other. What did you feel when you saw him?"

_Oh. Thinking back …_ "I was … interested. Curious." _Okay, the very first thought was disgust at one more apparent drunkard lying on a table. But who cares._

"Great! Okay, so, for the tenth question, you have to invent a question for your partner to answer. Likewise, he will choose one for you. And of course, you have to guess his answer, too. Which will it be?"

Huh, that was easy. _How many freckles are on your face?_ Hm, okay, she knew, but he most likely didn't. Hm, okay. An easy one. Here goes. "What's the name of your brother. And he'll say 'Luffy'."

"Alright!" Evangelaine beamed at her once more. "If you excuse me for a second, I will now exchange information with Revan. We will continue in a few moments." She stood up and skipped towards the entrance, closing the door behind her.

Yami all but fell to the ground. Or rather, the fluffy surface of the sofa, making Neela squawk indignantly, hopping off her and onto the coffee table, searching for food.

_Oh God. I hope this'll work out. Cowboy, can you hear me? Get my waves … romantic stuff … I've said romantic stuff … sexual stuff … it's Neela, the present is Neela … Fucking Mahogany Island … lonely island with you … be with you forever … I was curious, curious … Aaaahhhhh!_

She groaned and drew a cushion over her head, pressing her face into the sofa. When she heard light steps from outside the door, she sat upright again, smoothing her hair down.

"Okay, let's finish it!" Evangelaine sing-songed in a disgusting voice, before resuming her seat and draping the clipboard over her lap. "First question! What is your partner's favourite colour?"

"Orange. Like fire."

"Right! You're correct!"

Yami bit her lip. No time to be happy. The other questions had been way more difficult that that.

"Second question! Where has your partner spent his childhood?"

_Easy one._ "In Foosha Village."

"Right again!" Evangelaine smiled. "Okay! Third question: Where would your partner like to go if he could choose from all the places in the world?"

_Oookay. I don't have a clue._ "Everywhere, as long as it's with me?"

Evangelaine stared. Then squealed. "Right! Right again! Ohh, you two are amazing!"

Yami stared, too. _Amazing. Really._ But now she knew he was riding the romantic train along with her. _Phew._

"Fourth question. Where would your partner hate to go more than anything else in the world?"

"To any place without me?"

"Ohhh! And you're right again!"

Yami exhaled slowly. Okay, this was easy?

"Fifth question: if your partner only had one day left to live, what would his wish as to how he'd like to spend it be?"

"He wouldn't care, as long as it's with me."

"Oh my! Another right one! You're collecting points here!"

_I hope. _

"Now, the sixth question. This is going smooth, you'll win if you have just one more right. If your partner had one wish to you, what would it be?"

Yami gulped. _Think, think … love train … romantic atmosphere_ _…_ "F-for me to sleep with him, too?"

Evangelaine's brows drew together. "Unfortunately, no. It says, 'For her to love me', but that … I guess Revy made a mistake here … this can't be … but we have to accept this as an answer, I am afraid."

_Love him? What the …?_

"Seventh question. What are your partner's plans for the future?"

"To, uh, stay with me?"

Evie's brows almost met in the middle now. "Oh, I'm so sorry. It says here, 'Defeat Blackbeard and return to my crew'."

_Cowboy! I freakin' hate you! Why the fucking heck are you being honest all of a sudden?_

"One more question right, okay? Just one more. Perhaps this is the one … eighth question. If your partner could wish for a gift from you, what would it be?"

_I. Have. No. Freaking. Clue._ "A new hat?"

"I'm sorry, but no."

_Argh!_

"His answer is, 'Her heart'. Oh, that's so romantic …"

_I. Hate. You. _

"Now, the ninth question. Concentrate, okay? The day you first met each other. What did your partner feel when he saw you?"

"He felt … interested."

"Aww. It says, 'Tired' here …"

Yami slapped her hand in front of her eyes. _This idiot. This dumb-ass of a fucking idiot. I could've said 'Disgusted', too! You'd never have guessed that! _

"Okay, then. Your last chance. Here's the tenth question. What's the name of your brother?"

Yami blinked. "That's the question I gave him."

Evie smiled politely. "No, that's the question he gave you."

"W-what?" she asked, completely taken aback. _He … asked me the same? Just … just to hear my answer? That incredibly sneaky son of a …! _"I'm not telling! Tell him that!"

At this point, Evie's eyes were as wide as saucers. Yami frowned before it dawned on her. She had just ignored her last chance to score a point. Which meant, she'd failed.

"T-that's …"

Yami could have hit her head on the table. Her last chance. Her last. Freaking. Chance. And she'd thrown it away. _Oh no._

"That's actually right!"

_Wait. What?!_

"That's exactly what it says! Ohh! You were right! I mean, he was right in predicting your reaction! Ohh, how wonderful! I'm so happy for you two!" Evie hopped up and down on the armchair, clapping her hands in applause.

_W-what?! _"H-he predicted I'd say 'I'm not telling'?"

"Yes! Exactly! Look!" The woman showed her the sheet where Revan, indeed, had put down 'I'm not telling'.

Yami was stunned. He could have gone for something far easier, for an easy win, like her own question, but he'd risked it. And succeeded.

"Annnd, since even your last question was perfectly in accordance which shows an incredibly unusual perfect harmony between the two of you, though usually we don't do this, we're gonna let you pass anyway, because we like you guys! Yay!"

"Yay," Yami muttered, sinking into the sofa. "Yay."

* * *

Ace sighed in satisfaction. They had passed, well of course they had. He'd never doubted that they would.

As Revan led him out of the room to meet up with the others and "complete the ceremony", as she'd told him, he had a grin plastered on his freckled face. He imagined her face when being presented the last question – hilarious. Oh, what he'd have given to see it!

They entered a giant, rotund hall which went up all the way until the upper end of the wedding-cake-y thing the island consisted of, and instead of a ceiling, a large skylight had been built in so that the room was actually lit by daylight. A nice change, Ace thought. He was fed up with the subterranean, labyrinth-ish structure here. It was more than time to leave this place.

When he stepped into the room and onto the rose-coloured marble that was the floor, he heard his steps echoing through the hall. There was no carpet, just stone, and the pink walls, though decorated with chandeliers and giant mirrors, were far too large to seem covered with anything.

In the middle of the room, Yami was waiting with Evangelaine. She was sitting in one of two ornate armchairs, Neela on the armrest, with the blonde woman standing right beside her. When she saw him come near, he could see how she bit her lip so as not to frown at him in anger. She stood up and, when he was near enough, faced him to fall into his arms.

_Nice. _

"I knew our love was strong enough to pass any test!" she declared loudly, then muttered under her breath, "I'm _so_ gonna kill you."

"No need to worry, darling. Together, we can face anything."

He heard the two women behind them giggle and squeal, and concealed his face in Yami's hair so that he could thoroughly roll his eyes at their stupidity.

The 'ceremony' consisted of loud theatrical music, Laure reciting sermons about their undying love for each other and wishing them luck for the future. Then, they were given matching silver rings, his with a dark red stone, hers with an orange one. According to Yami's face, or rather, the face she did _not_ show, this one would land either in the ocean or in some dark corner of a deep pocket somewhere.

As they were led to the exit, where the raft was already waiting for them, laden with all kinds of food which made Ace's mouth water despite the fact that there was now relatively little room for two persons to sit, Laure put a light hand on his shoulder to hold him back.

"We o'erheard that you were searching for a person called 'Blackbeard'."

Ace froze, his brows drawn. "Yeees?"

"Know that said person travelled along your exact route and passed this island two weeks ago."

"Uh, thanks." _The freakin' least she can do for holding us up so long._

"You are welcome." Laure smiled mystically, and motioned for them to mount the raft. "We will now have the waves convoy your vehicle until you are out of sight. Farewell, young lovers."

"Yah, bye," Yami mumbled, already on the raft and putting pieces of vegetable aside to make room for them.

When the waves had carried them so far that the island was a mere dot on the horizon, Yami let out a long breath. "Never. Again."

"Agreed," Ace said, leaning back comfortably.

She was sitting in his lap since the raft didn't provide much space even without all the foodstuff on it, and now slumped against his bare chest with a moan. "Hold me."

He chuckled, sliding his arms around her shoulders, drawing her to rest against him, then placing his head on top of hers. "I thought you wanted to kill me, huh?" he asked, speeding the raft up so that the wind made his hat fly back to dangle at the string around his neck.

"Whatever. Just … hold me."

"Alright." He tightened his arms around her, smiling to himself.

_I'd like nothing better._

* * *

_**Coming up:**_

"Cowboy! You bastard!" She heard him giggle and threw some sand in his direction. "That's not fucking funny!" – Their relationship seems kinda role-reversed now.

_Damn. He's so good in finding my weak spots_, she thought, only barely suppressing a moan. – getting yummy. Be prepared!

But damn, it was so hard to see that face and not think about all the sweet, blissful things he could do to her so that she'd keep it. – even more yummy-ness. And damn you cowboy, just _do_ it! Man!

Ace: … Well, it's you who's not letting me.

Me (shoving Ace aside): Damn you, cowboy! Damn you! It's all your fault!

Ace (sighs): Yeah. Whatever you say.


	53. Ace's Wicked Game

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

**Author's note: **It feels like forever since I last updated. I apologise. I don't know what it was, some kinda writer's block slash anxiety slash no time for nothing thing or other. But of course I'm back (I'll always be, until this story is finished), and this chapter is gonna be juicy. So: enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 53: Ace's Wicked Game**

After two days of travelling on the raft, they finally saw an island in the distance.

_About fucking time_, Yami grumbled inwardly. She was sitting tied to the mast once again, not because she didn't like sitting in Ace's lap, quite the contrary; but sitting that long in one and the same position could do one hell of a job to make your behind sore as something else.

They hadn't talked much after their departure. She had clung to him like a burdock despite being monstrously angry with him, she just couldn't help it. After all that stress on Fucking-Wedding-Shitcake-Island, as she had re-named it, she would've liked nothing better than to get laid, or at least kissed for about half an hour. He had offered nothing like that, just held her in his arms, and surprisingly, that had proven to be enough.

Now, however, she was cranky with tediousness. She had fed Neela, played with Ace's hair and counted the freckles on his cheeks when he'd been asleep (still not multiplied), cut up fruits in an artful manner (a penguin, a monkey and a palm tree) and fed them to Neela, slept, fed Neela, taught Neela how to say 'baka cowboy', fed her, eaten something herself, and fed Neela. Speaking of Neela, the bird would most likely get fat if they continued like this, but never mind.

Anyway, that island looked nice. A white beach promised peace and relaxation – really, she would've never thought she'd long for peace and relaxation one day. She hadn't become a pirate for want of peace and relaxation. Yet, after all this hype, adventure and stress, she wanted nothing more than just lying on a beach in a bikini, having the sun shine down on her, warm, bright, cheerful …

As the raft hit the sandy beach with the odd rock here and there, she was the first to hop off. Her feet immediately became absorbed by the sand and she stumbled for a moment, before she just kicked off her boots and enjoyed the feeling.

Ace, meanwhile, had pulled the raft ashore and was now watching her amusedly as she had turned her face upwards and thrown her arms into the air as if to greet the sun god, while also doing some stretching himself.

After deciding that they definitely needed some rest, Ace went off into the woods to do some exploring while Yami spread her cloak on the beach and changed into her bikini, giving a good long sigh as she lay down, closing her eyes.

She must have fallen asleep, for the next thing she knew was that she was being splashed with water. "KYAAAA!"

Her first reaction was to jump up, but as the water turned out to be seawater, she ended up on the ground again. "Cowboy! You bastard!" She heard him giggle and threw some sand in his direction, finally getting to her feet. "That's not fucking funny! Do you know how many times I've been held with kairoseki throughout the last few weeks?"

He was still giggling, and she huffed, turning away and brushing off the sand. "Aww, come on. It was just so tempting, you know." His arms slid around her waist, and she felt his lips on her shoulder.

"Yah, I'll remember that next time you drop half-dead with a narcoleptic fit," she said, slightly reconciled by his kisses. She even leaned into him a bit. She couldn't help it – it felt so … so … _right_. As if they were meant to stand here and do this. As if she had searched all her life just for this moment.

_Wait, what?_

She shook her head, what the hell was she thinking?

His fingers were tracing the faint outline of her wound. It was merely a scar now, a light trace of what had been – and could have been. He said nothing, but she knew he was thinking it as well. When his fingers left, the places he'd touched were burning. Not literally, of course.

"Could you tell me now who your brother is?" Ace murmured against her neck after a pause, and she shuddered despite the anger welling up within her.

"The heck I'll do. It'll need more than just kisses and nice words from you for me to tell you. And even then I can't promise nothing."

"Pleeeaaase," he said, his voice soft as his hands slid down across her belly.

"Stop it. No, not that!" She grabbed his hand as he was about to pull it away. He chuckled. "Why are you still thinking about that, anyway?"

"I can't _stop_ thinking about it. I mean, you're one of my brothers' sister …"

"That's so weird in so many ways, cowboy."

"Why won't you tell me? What's so bad about it?" he asked, nuzzling her ear.

_Damn. He's so good in finding my weak spots_, she thought, only barely suppressing a moan. Clearing her throat instead, she tried to focus. "What's bad about it? You'll think of me as being someone's little sister. I'm not the little sister of anyone, got it? Not of someone who doesn't even care about me being dead or alive or anything else."

Ace was silent for a moment. Then, he sighed. "Okay. If you tell me who's your brother, I'll tell you who's my father."

She frowned and looked out at the sea. "Why should I even care who the heck your father is?"

She heard – and felt – him chuckle, his body vibrating against hers. Her eyes slid closed all by themselves. _Delicious._

"Oh, believe me. You know him."

She allowed herself to lean back into him, enjoying his incredible warmth. A slight breeze had begun blowing around them, making it just as chilly as for her to use it as an excuse. With his strong arms around her, and his hard chest pressing against her bare back, she must be completely emotionless if she didn't feel anything.

Yami sighed, mulling his words over in her head. "But I don't even care." Which was a lie. She did care, and – ohhh.

She smirked, biting her lip. Devious little creature, she was. After all, she still had some questions open.

"Please. Pleeeaaase!" He accompanied his words with feather-light kisses along her neck and jawline.

"Hmph. You need to do more than just this to get something like that out of me."

"And what would that be?" One of his hands slid lower, the other higher, to the rim of her bra top.

"Ooh … I dunno. _You_ tell me." She turned her head just as much as for him to see her grin. His dark strands tickled her cheek.

"I shall devise something," he whispered, and she shuddered despite the heat of his body seeping into her. His hand wandered higher up, crossing the border between skin and fabric and travelling up the swell of her breast. Soft, tingling, warm. She closed her eyes as the exquisite feeling left her breathless. He had never … okay, he had, but he'd been drugged at the time, she'd been wounded, and it'd been nothing compared to this.

His fingertips reached the areola, and he started drawing circles around her nipple.

"Ohh …" She couldn't hold back a moan when he, without ceasing his touch, kissed the edge of her outer ear, and his tongue came out to caress it. She could hear his breathing, could feel it, leaving perceptible traces on the wet area.

Meanwhile, his other hand had gone so far as to trail the upper hem of her bikini panties. When he let his fingers slip in, one after the other, she gasped slightly. What … what was he intending? Where would this be leading towards? Was he … Would they … finally …?

He took her nipple between two fingers, starting to twist it slightly through the thin cloth. Her back arched involuntarily, pressing her breast further up against his hand. "Hmm … AH!"

At the same moment his keenly exploring fingers touched her clit, he gave her nipple a firm squeeze. "Ah! … Ah, ohh … Ohhh!" As pleasure flooded her, it took away all thoughts. What had happened. The stress. The hardship.

The only hardship she cared about was currently pressing against her hip.

She moaned loudly as he did it again, and felt him smirk against her ear. "You're still as loud as I remember," he whispered and gave her ear another lick.

"And … ah! Ahh!" She wanted to say something smart … but as soon as she had started, she'd forgotten. Desire raced through her veins, lust, burning in her body, concentrating at her core where his fingers were giving her pleasure. Her body was aflame, humming with a tune she had never felt it produce before. With his one hand now palming her other breast, and the other sliding even lower to where she was wet for him, her body arched, taut like a bowstring, pining for him, his touch, his body. When his finger slid into her, she cried out, clenching around him, seeking contact.

She'd known it'd been long since she'd last been touched – too long by her standards, anyway – but by the way her body reacted to him, it felt like she'd never been touched at all.

* * *

Soon he had her panting, writhing and moaning, trying to press into him as much as possible, clawing at his sides behind her back.

"So eager for pleasure," he murmured, and thrust his finger into her one last time before he slid it out, whirled her around, handling her roughly, catching her by the arm as she very nearly fell.

The face she made as she looked up to him was almost enough to send him over the edge himself. Beautifully reddened, her forehead damp with sweat, her eyes hooded and her blood-red lips gaping ever so deliciously while she was panting – he wanted those lips now.

So he took them.

She clutched at him when he kissed her, her breasts pushing up against his chest, and he removed the band that held her hair in a ponytail, burying his hand in her mane to hold her head in place while at the same time grabbing her butt to keep her from backing away – not that she wanted to, anyway. He slid his thigh between hers, and knew he'd found the right spot and kind of pressure when she moaned into his mouth.

This was a dream, right?

No. This was what he could make happen, anywhere, any time he wanted. It was perfectly up to him to use that chance – or not.

Wasn't he a giant stupid dumbass for not having done so _ages_ ago?

Her tongue lapped at his as he intensified his hold on her hair to tilt her head back, and she gave sweet little moans when his mouth left hers to place kisses and licks along her jawline, down her throat to her collarbone.

She was wax in his hands, melting like actual wax would in front of his fiery powers. And he _loved_ it. The power he'd been uneasy with her having over him, he felt it now. He could make her tremble, fall apart. Beg and plead.

He licked his down along the thin strap of her top that went from each of the cups (or rather, scraps of cloth barely covering her breasts) to behind her neck, where they were tied into a bowknot. When he reached one generous mound, he cupped the underside with his hand and licked his way right to the middle, pushing the fabric aside as he went. She gasped and shuddered as he took her dark pink nipple between his lips, grazing the tip with his tongue ever so lightly. He grabbed her butt to support her as he felt her knees giving out under her, kneeling down in the sand, which was a position way more comfortable than bending over her, and drew her towards him, placing her in his lap, his mouth never leaving her nipple as he sucked and licked it, enjoying the sounds she made, enjoying the feeling of her fingernails digging into his scalp.

He'd never had so much fun pleasuring somebody.

When he finally found that he had occupied himself long enough with her breasts, he slowly lifted his gaze up to meet her eyes, licking his lips. She was panting hard, her hands still dug into his hair, and looked at him with so much lust he let out a low growl.

_Principles. I've got principles, okay? _

But damn, it was so hard to see that face and not think about all the sweet, blissful things he could do to her so that she'd keep it. And not listening to one rock-hard cock beating in his pants with his own sped-up heartbeat, a cock that wanted nothing more than to thrust into that warm, soft wetness he'd felt before.

"Will you tell me now?" he rasped, and her eyes widened for a moment when she processed what he'd said.

"N-no way!"

His smirk grew broader. "Oh really."

"Yah, really, and – KYAA!"

She gasped when he simply grabbed her by the hips, like a life-sized puppet, and pushed her down into the sand. He was kneeling over her, holding her down by the shoulders and feeling like a predator on the hunt with his prey right in front of him.

And damn if that wasn't a downright awesome feeling.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," he said, his voice rough with desire, and let his tongue trace the outline of her inner ear. As expected, this brought the anticipated reaction from her – she gasped, and her hands clenched into fists next to her face. "See?" he whispered near her ear, and grinned when she shuddered.

"You know … I totally have my … ways and means to … get what I want … out of you," he murmured against her skin, moving down her body, placing kisses in-between the words. When he reached her panties, he drew a deep breath.

_This. Is. Going. To. Be. So. Much. Fun. _

"Ah!" She moaned when his fingers touched her over the fabric, slightly pressing down, rubbing where he knew it felt good for her. He glanced at her, making sure she got the sly smirk on his face, and made a show of slowly licking his lips.

Then he moved his hand under her butt, lifting it up slightly, while the other tugged the fabric of the panties aside. There she was, naked, glistening wet under his gaze, looking absolutely succulent and tasty.

He needed a taste of her, and now.

The first lick was just a flick of his tongue against her clit, but it was enough to make her cry out and squirm. When he started, really started, lapping up that delicious wetness she had created just for him, and because of him, not only did he almost get off at the slightest taste of her on his tongue, but it made her arch her back so hard it made him wonder whether it could possibly break just with that.

"Mind to tell me now?"

"No! And way to ruin the mood cowboy, I'm – AHH!"

He had found the right moment to re-insert his finger into her, and pushed forward while his tongue was drawing lazy circles around her pleasure spot.

_Ah, I don't think so, baby. _

She was trembling heavier now, trying to push her behind up higher so as to offer him her sex and trying to create even more friction. He knew he should be careful now, since he had to recognise the exact moment when –

He withdrew his finger and tongue all at once, and smirked when he heard her indignant cry.

"Why'd you stop? I was so close –"

"Which is exactly why," he explained, trying not to enjoy her disappointment too much. "You still haven't answered me."

"_What?_" She tried to sit up but he didn't let her, pushing her back down with one hand, which was fairly easy since she was – well, not exactly at the peak of her strength.

"Nu-uh," he told her, shaking his head disapprovingly. "No release until you've told me."

"Never!" she yelled, her face red with anger and want at the same time.

"Well … I don't know how long you can last like this …" He demonstrated the truth in his words by touching her clit with the tip of his tongue, which made her flinch and moan, "but I could go on and on like that …"

He slid his finger back in and crooked it gently, and enjoyed the sounds it drew from her. "Just tell me, and I'll let you come."

"N-never!"

"Alright with me …"

* * *

She didn't know how often he had brought her to the brink now, just to grab her and pull her back in the very last moment. It was frustrating, nerve-racking and exciting all the same, and she didn't know how many times she could take it anymore. She felt like a puddle of goo on the ground, completely unable to do anything except futilely trying to press up against his eager mouth, completely at his mercy. This was a new feeling, and she didn't exactly know whether she liked it or not.

"Tell me," he demanded, and she let out a frustrated cry at being jerked back down to earth once more. "You can end this easily. Just tell me."

Oh, she could tell that he liked this. Way too much.

"I … I can't … anymore …"

"Just tell me," he repeated, kissing her inner thigh.

She let her head fall back in frustration. "I … can't …"

"Why not?"

"You … you won't take me seriously anymore …"

"Tell me and I'll promise to take you seriously." As if to prove his words, he started placing kisses all over her, making her squirm and tremble.

"That's nothing … you can just … decide," she pressed out in-between heavy pants.

"Hmm," he hummed against her, and she gasped as she felt it reverberating through her core. "Alright. I might be satisfied with a hint as an answer."

_Sounds fair. _

"Then … fucking … let me …"

"Promise?"

"Fuck! Yes! Promise! Just let me come!"

And he did it. With a wriggle of his finger inside her and a soft touch of his tongue, she came undone like she never had before. She was seeing stars, colourful little stars shooting over her field of vision, feeling like all her feelings were concentrating at just that one point of her body. She felt herself clenching and unclenching around his finger, she heard herself cry out, but there was nothing she could do about it.

When it was over, she simply collapsed into the sand, unable to move even a finger, just lying there, panting, trying to regain her breath and surfing the smaller waves of pleasure her orgasm had left behind.

She felt Ace move up and flop down beside her, but she didn't care about nothing. His arm came up to reach across her, holding her, but all she could do was just lie there like a rag doll.

"Hmm. That was kinda easy," he said, and she heard the smirk in his tone without having to turn her head – which she couldn't do anyway.

"B-bastard."

He chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. "So, start thinking up a hint."

"Shut. Up."

"You know what'll happen if you don't keep your part of the promise, right?" His hand got lost somewhere over her breasts, and she winced as it grazed one hypersensitive nipple.

"Later." She just wanted to lie there. Maybe sleep. But … as her brain slowly came back to life, that wicked idea from earlier reoccurred to her. "Four questions."

"Huh?"

"I've got four questions left."

"So?"

She smiled tiredly. "Who's your father?"

She saw his expression run off the rails out of the corner of her eye, and giggled. Well, maybe life wasn't as unfair as it sometimes seemed, right?

* * *

**Author's note: **I absolutely got no clue how the fricking heck I ended up here. It just kept coming … and no pun intended here. I was a bit scared of that part, but … it wasn't half bad, actually. I hope you liked it and always do a little happy dance at every review from you guys. You can picture that if you like. Hugs from me, and good night.

_**Coming up:**_

She sat up, supporting her upper body with an arm. "Are you fucking with me, cowboy?" – huh, not yet, I suppose …

"Just … it's better if you don't dwell on that. The past. It's gone, you can't change it. It's enough that you're always carrying it around with you but … let's move on. Together." – Together. That sounds awesome, doesn't it.

Bullets were whizzing around his head, and they were shouting. But he knew he could get away. – Things are getting rough & dirty …


	54. This Ain't a Lovesong, This Is Goodbye

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

**Author's note: **Tadaimaaa! Wish you lots of fun with this chapter. Well, actually it's not that funny. But I hope you'll enjoy it.

By the way, Yami, I'm sorry - cruel things are probably awaiting you. I know I wouldn't wish that for my most awful enemy, and I know it's not fair. Just know that I love you ... *sighs heavy-heartedly*

* * *

**Chapter 54: This Ain't a Lovesong, This Is Goodbye**

"Jeez! That's not fair, you know."

Yami sighed contentedly as she rolled onto her side in the sun-warm sand, facing him. "It's the fairest thing on earth, Cowboy. After all, you suggested this, isn't that right? I got three questions left …"

Ace grumbled something intelligible, then pouted and said, "You meanie!"

"Mean? Me? Are you crazy?" She poked him in the cheek with her forefinger. "Who was the one going all _or-else_ on me just now, huh?" She was still feeling the aftereffects of his 'special treatment' throughout her body. This rich feeling of satisfaction, her sex still slightly throbbing, wet from all the excitement, her arms and legs heavy as lead.

It was a great feeling.

"That's … not fair."

"It _is_. Now tell me." As she looked at him expectantly, he turned over to his back, staring up at the bright sky with his brows drawn.

"Damn. You just tricked me …"

"Nope." Maybe a bit. "And look who's talking, anyway."

He gave her a dark glare from the side, before he heaved a sigh and gave up. "Okay. But don't forget the hint you owe me."

"I won't. Just let me think a bit." The truth was, her brain was still slightly mushy from all that had occurred. Out of nowhere, he had gone and given her the greatest orgasm ever. Doing some _thinking_ right after? She was just human, after all. "But tell me first."

He sighed again, folding his arms behind his head. Then, he said a name.

Yami frowned. Okaaay, she'd known her brain wasn't quite up to speed right now, but the fact that it was making her hear things was a little worrisome. "Say that again, I guess my ears aren't working," she prompted.

Ace hmph-ed. "I guess your ears are working just fine." He said it again, and this time she was concentrating.

She sat up, supporting her upper body with an arm. "Are you fucking with me, Cowboy?"

"No, unfortunately not."

_Trying to be funny or what?!_ "Oh, fine. If you won't tell me, I won't give you no hint. So I guess we're e–"

"The hell I won't! I already did, you idiot!" He was obviously annoyed now, but …

_Wait. Wait, wait, waaaiiit. _

"Y-you _mean_ that?"

He shrugged, now sitting up himself. "Why should I lie."

"B-but he … that man … he didn't have children!" Because that just couldn't be true.

He raised his hands in a can't-help-it gesture. "Apparently, you're wrong. Cause here I am."

She blinked once, twice. Trying to speed up her thinking. "Y-you …"

He shrugged again, staring ahead darkly. "Yeah, but I don't care, okay? So don't blow this up or something."

"B-but …"

"Listen, that's exactly what you meant when you said that if I knew whose sister you were, I'd look at you differently. Now you're doing the same. And I hate it."

_Hate it? Oh. _

She inhaled deeply, her brain doing the steeplechase in her skull. "I … I didn't know …"

Ace scoffed. "Yeah, because that wasn't obvious at all."

"You're unfair now!" she blurted, and his head whipped around towards her, eyeing her sharply. "Jeez, gimme some time to stomach that! You can't just mouth-fuck me into oblivion, then drop a bomb and just assume I'd be able to keep up with that!"

When a slow grin spread on his face, she was confused for a moment. _Ah, the oblivion part. Men and their stupid pride issues. _

"It's like that, huh? Sorry," he said, grinning like an idiot.

Yami rolled her eyes, then rubbed her temples with both hands. "Just … let me think this over for a second, okay?"

He nodded, then lay back again into the sand, closing his eyes against the sun. He was smiling.

_Okay. Okaaay. If he's the son of … then why don't the Marines … and why doesn't anyone … and how did he … and when … and_ what the hell?!

"Can you explain why nobody knows that that man actually had a child? Before he …"

"Died?"

Yami nodded.

"You can vocalise that, you know. I hate him."

"Why?"

Ace smirked and looked up at her. "That's question number three already, you know."

"Like I'd care. And you haven't answered number two yet, anyway."

He drew a deep breath. "Hm, okay. So it's like this: some know, some don't. I guess some of the upper ranks of the Marine know, because gramps does. I mean, Luffy's grandfather. And …"

"Wait, wait, wait. Luffy's grandfather is a _Marine?_" she exclaimed incredulously.

"Yup. Monkey D. Garp, don't you know that old man?"

Yami narrowed her eyes in thinking. "Maybe I've heard …"

"So almost nobody really knows. Which is just great. I'd be really angry if someone bothered me because of _that_." He scoffed. "Whitebeard is my only father now. Anyway … my mother gave her life for me, so that nobody was able to find out. Well, almost."

_So that's why he doesn't bear that name, huh?_

"I never knew her, or both of them, for that matter. If that guy lived, I'd probably beat him up."

"Why would you?" Yami asked, even though she understood that feeling. Half of it. Because, what her own mother had done … She didn't hate her for it, true, but she didn't love her either. As she had always done, before that.

She saw him clench his fists. Oh, how she knew that. "I owe him nothing. He's a bastard for dying and leaving my mother alone, and he's a bastard for driving her into what she did. And for making me problems even after he's dead."

"Hm." Yami brushed some stray red strands out of her face. _For making problems even after they're dead? Then I should hate my parents to death, actually._ "Didn't she do what she did for you, and not for him?"

"If he hadn't impregnated her, all this wouldn't have happened," he said darkly. Sitting up again, he rolled his shoulders back to work out a few knots.

"So the essence of what you're saying is that you shouldn't have been born?" she inquired, furrowing her brows and giving him a disbelieving glance. "Because if that's true, it's the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard."

He stared at her, and his frown only became deeper and deeper. "You don't fucking know! You _can't_ know!" he growled. "You don't know what it's like to be judged just because of what parents you had! To be regarded as the devil's child! To …"

She didn't let him finish. Because she knew that arguing would just lead to more arguing, which she didn't feel like doing, she simply grabbed him by the jaw and yanked him forward with both hands, so that he almost fell into the sand again. Instead, he fell against her, she went through with the plan and kissed him, and because she also didn't feel like using any strength for holding him up, they both landed back on the ground. Thanks to Yami holding him close, their lips were still locked, even as he tried to support his weight with his arms next to her shoulders.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked when she finally let go of his face. "I was just getting into a good fret there."

"Because you were talking shit, that's why," she said while beaming up at him.

"I wasn't."

"You were."

His dark eyes had become even darker as he was staring down at her. He opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to change his mind.

"You know," she said, gently brushing his dark brown hair out of his face, "I do know how that feels like. Being judged. Back there, I was captured because I'm the child of my parents. And there was nothing I could do."

His expression changed. There had still been that hard look on his face, telling her that even now, he hated the man who had fathered him so much that it hurt. Now, his face became softer, almost gentle. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I forgot."

She smiled. "Just … it's better if you don't dwell on that. The past. It's gone, you can't change it. It's enough that you're always carrying it around with you but … let's move on. Together." She drove her hand through his smooth mane. "Ace."

* * *

After they had collected their few things, they had decided to go and visit the next city they could find. Ace had hidden the raft somewhere so that nobody could find it, just in case, and they had started walking into the forest, where Ace had discovered a narrow path. He supposed it led to a town, or at least some civilisation of whatever kind.

"So where's my hint?"

"Lemme think!" Yami complained. "I can't think when you're bugging me all the time!"

Ace just smirked. "Now you see what it's like. Payback, shadow girlie."

She just grumbled something unintelligible. It sounded suspiciously like she was cursing him to all that was bad on earth.

She was cute when she was like that.

"Okay, I'll tell you something," she sighed and Ace pricked up his ears so as not to miss any of her words. "He's older than you."

"Hey, hey, hey." Ace frowned. "Now tell me something new …"

Yami threw him an irritated glance. "You wanted a hint. You got one."

"That wasn't a hint, that was an observation. You already told me how old he is," he stated determinedly. "Try again."

"But …!"

"Don't 'but' me. Everyone in Pops' crew's older than me. You could just as well have said, "he's male"."

She quickly glanced away, and he suspected her to have at least thought about it. "Ohh, come on! Forgot what I did to deserve it, huh?" Suddenly, he grabbed her and pushed her against a tree, cornering her with his body, at which Neela, who had found her way back to them again, had to flutter around to not get squashed, and squawked indignantly. He smirked down at her and enjoyed her wide eyes. "I can do it again, anytime. Just so you know."

"God, have mercy with the poor and satisfied," she murmured, then pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, okay. So here's an amendment: he's already been in Whitebeard's crew before you were even born. That enough?"

"Now that's something I can work with!" he beamed and managed to quickly kiss her on the forehead before she shoved him away.

_Older than … hmmm. That excludes … hmmm … Izou?_ _Damn!_ He could have bitten himself in his own ass – he didn't even know how long every single nakama of his had been in the crew! And they all looked so old, they'd never talked about age and stuff … Well, at least now he knew it had to be one of the higher-ranked pirates in the crew, since they were the ones who'd been there the longest.

_Well, wonderful. At this rate I'll never guess it. _

* * *

They actually found a small town as they stepped out of the woods, and immediately started searching for bars. Ace, for his part, needed more information, and Yami, for her part, needed some alcohol, as she stated.

They found the town's market in no time, since it was the largest place in the small town, and decided to saunter around for a bit, enjoying the sun and eyeing the things for sale. Lots of fruits and vegetables, also some they didn't know yet, and colourful cloth. Housewares, and a salesman with a few domestic animals, like chicken, goats, geese, and multicoloured rabbits which looked quite curious. Neela became excited from all the ruckus around them, and started tripping from right to left on Yami's shoulder.

"How much is this?" Yami asked a merchant, pointing at a grindstone. Ace supposed she needed it for her daggers. She hadn't used them in a while. Which did not mean _didn't have to use them_, oh no.

The merchant looked at them with his mouth open, and Yami frowned when she didn't get an answer. She just shrugged and went on to the next booth, but Ace saw the peculiar way the merchant continued staring after them. He pulled her with him until he couldn't see that man anymore. It made him somehow nervous, that glance.

To her questioning gaze, he just shook his head. "That guy had a strange way to look after us. I just didn't like it …"

Soon they had seen all there was to see, and were on their way to leave the market behind them. In a side street, Ace had spotted a little bar called 'Juicehead', and they thought it quite agreeable.

They had just crossed the street on their way into the side street when Yami grabbed him by the arm and stopped.

"What's it?" he asked. "Seen anything weird?"

"No …" she mumbled, her eyes wildly scanning the surroundings. "Something … something's not right … I guess …"

"Not right?" Ace raised his brows. "What do you mean?" He looked all the way around the both of them, but couldn't detect anything extraordinary. "Hey, are you sure? I don't see anything, and –"

The moment he heard the whirring sound, she had already given him a hard shove. His first impulse as he was thrown to the side was to curse at her, but from experience, he knew better. Rolling to avoid crashing to the ground, he felt the fringe of something soft and yet hard touch his shoulder, and his body almost caved in.

He jumped back, at the same time opening his palms to two giant-sized fire balls, and –

When he fully perceived the situation they were in, he stopped.

"GO!" Yami yelled at him. She was cowering on the ground, buried underneath a large net.

_Kairoseki. _

When he heard the footsteps, the fire raged in his hands. He threw himself around to confront whoever it was, and –

_Is that … a motherfucking army or what?!_

"GO!" Yami repeated. "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HERE!"

"Portgas D. Ace! Lady of the Shadows! You're both arrested!" one of the Marines shouted. He was wearing a captain's mantle slung over the shoulders, and in his hands was a large rifle, no doubt filled to the brim with kairoseki bullets.

_Fuck. Fuckfuckfuck. _

His brain spun around in his head, trying to make sense of it all. They'd captured her, but she had gotten him out of the way, they were many, they had rifles and kairoseki, but if he tried he'd surely get away – _FUCK THAT!_

He'd never leave her! He'd fight! He'd …

"We have your little girl, so be reasonable, Portgas."

"GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE, COWBOY!"

_But …!_

"Be sensible, Portgas. Hands over your head. If you don't want us to hurt her then –"

"Fine," Ace said, shrugging. He let the fire disappear, and raised his hands in the demanded surrendering gesture. Behind him, he heard an agitated yell. The Marine was coming nearer, rifle still pointed at him. He whipped out a pair of kairoseki handcuffs.

"Now stand still and –"

Ace chose this point of time to jump into the air and throw a large ball of fire at them all. Then, the next one, he designed especially for smoke, so that several of them started to cough their lungs out.

"As if I'd care for her!" he then shouted in mid-jump. "Nice diversion … but nothing more. She was annoying anyway. Bye-bye, crazy girl!"

Bullets were whizzing around his head, and they were shouting. But he knew he could get away. He was already on a nearby roof, ready to make a run for it, when he turned around once more.

Her eyes were filled with tears, from the smoke or from her feelings, he didn't know. As their eyes met over the battle scene, he silently said his goodbye.

* * *

_**Coming up: **_

_How I've missed this_, she thought dryly as she took in her surroundings. – And once again … I'm sorry, Yami.

She had discovered that when you were alone and had only to care for yourself, it wasn't only easier but suited her far better. – Some (interesting?) inner monologue on Yami's side.

In that situation, she had acted subconsciously and instinctively, for the good of them both. – That's what she says …


	55. But Not For Long

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

**Author's note: **I'm sorry for once again not updating very fast. I was busy with my end-of-semester work, and apart from that, I find it quite hard to write all those inner monologues and stuff. Hope you'll enjoy despite all that.

* * *

**Chapter 55: But Not For Long**

When Ace – finally! – decided to shut up and run, Yami almost sighed in relief. Although her heart was beating like mad in her chest and she was scared shitless, she couldn't help but feel at peace, somehow. Which was weird, surely.

As the Marines screamed, coughed and fired their rifles, she knew that Ace had made his escape. Those few stupid Marines couldn't do shit against someone like him. Against her, too, but something had gone wrong. Maybe they had been betrayed by someone, maybe by someone on the marketplace, maybe they had known they were there. It didn't matter, though; the situation was as it was and she couldn't help it. It was a scary feeling. As always, Yami liked to have control over her own fate, do everything by herself. Not being someone who needed anyone's help.

Yet, here and now, she was happy that Ace had gotten away – because she knew that he would come back to save her. In this situation of shit-has-gone-down-the-gutter, with her heart beating to the rapid rhythm of an unknown song, she was confident that everything would be alright, sooner or later.

When the smoke had finally dissolved, there was no trace of Ace, and also of half the troop. They were chasing him, but she knew that he was way faster, smarter and better in all respects. He would make it.

She had noticed that Neela was nowhere to be seen – she just hoped she had flown after Ace and not her. Poor birdie, Yami was going to feed her lots of grapes (her favourite) when she was out of here and back in business.

Then they were grabbing her, pulling her to her feet, all the while tying the net tightly around her.

"Stand up, girl," they commanded gruffly. "If you try anything funny, we won't hold back. We have kairoseki bullets. So keep still."

And for once, she did as she was told. She'd get free soon enough anyway – might as well play nice.

So she well-behavedly put her hands out when they told her to, and the kairoseki handcuffs snapped shut around her wrists.

_Those things again. How I hate this fucking kairoseki! _

... not to mention the Marines themselves.

One of them shoved her in the back so that she stumbled forward, grimacing in annoyance and mentally cursing the whole lot of them.

She was led through streets in which little crowds of onlookers had collected, some watching with hateful eyes, some scared, some simply curious. She ignored them, even as one of them spat at her feet. They could think whatever they liked – she alone knew that the real villains in this scenario were the ones with the kairoseki net. And as her anger flared for a moment, she calmed herself with the thought that none of them had her experiences, nobody at all, and that they didn't know better. They were simple people who were made compliant with all those lies by the Marines and the World Government. How could they know better? They were still thinking that the Marines would protect them from all those bad, bad pirates like her – she almost scoffed at the thought.

Day 1

Then they arrived at the station, and she was being towed through dimly lit hallways clad with bare stones – _jeez, how cliché!_ – and finally thrown into a cell.

_How I've missed this_, she thought dryly as she took in her surroundings. It was really just a cell, looking cold and hard, with a narrow bed, a little stool, a toilet and water basin. It was not as small as the one she had previously been thrown in, the one in the police station on what-was-it-called-again Lunatic Island.

It all strongly gave the impression that she would be staying here for a while.

She sighed and slumped down onto the mattress, which was almost as comfortable as a slab of wood. Almost.

If she hadn't been so sure about her coming free again soon, now would have been the time for her to go all claustrophobic and run around in circles.

But luckily, Ace had escaped, which, for her, meant that she would get out of here in no time.

"_As if I'd care for her! Nice diversion … but nothing more. She was annoying anyway. Bye-bye, crazy girl!"_

And he had really put up a great show. Surely they'd believe him. After all, there were no signs that they – the two of them – were anything other than travelling companions.

Except for the fact that she had thrown herself in the way of the net to get him out – really, what had made her do that? In retrospect, it was kinda dumb. She could have saved her own ass first, then come back for him – yup, that sounded more like her. She had never been the kind of person who looked after others – that was, after fate had had its stupid, shitty, cruel turn with her. Before, with her parents' crew and later when she had met the one crew after her parents had been murdered that she had actually liked, she had been caring to others, too. She had looked after Kujo like he had been her own little brother. Like she imagined it to be when you had a sibling – that is, a sibling that wasn't far, far away and didn't care for your whole existence, like you were less than dirt under his shoes.

After they had been killed, too, she had given up. She had discovered that when you were alone and had only to care for yourself, it wasn't only easier but suited her far better. And, in addition, you were protected from all kinds of disappointments. And your heart wouldn't break so fast.

Yet, as she had noticed earlier, she was in the process of becoming attached to a person again. Which wasn't good, not at all. It resulted in situations such as this one, if not worse. It only brought you tears, worries, and danger. It made you do things that were as stupid as could possibly be – like, for example, taking blows (and nets) for other people with the purpose of protecting them.

It wasn't like her at all. However, she had done it and now at least Ace hadn't been captured. It could have been worse – if they both had gotten into that net, for example. Yes, that must have been it – she had gotten him out of the way for him to come back and save – _help_ her. In that situation, she had acted subconsciously and instinctively, for the good of them both. Surely that must have been it. Because everything else was just so unlike her.

She sighed and took up her knees to rest her chin upon them, trying not to feel the tiredness that came with the kairoseki handcuffs still around her wrists. They had taken her things away – how could it be any different –, her weapons and her necessities as well as the part of their supplies that she had carried, but at least they had left her her clothes. And the ring. Yes, the ring. A good thing that she had actually left it on her finger. She even – hell, as she reached into her pocket, she noticed that she had even carried the stupid ring with the orange stone around with her, the one that those bitches on Honey-frickin-moon Island had given them. It sparkled a little as she turned it around in her fingers, catching the little light that came down through the bars of the single tiny window below the ceiling.

The ring reminded her of those stupid women with their stupid antique attitudes. What they had made them do! She still wanted to punch them for that. Those silly games, the rooms, the questions ... Ace and his craze for food ... Ace ...

Now that she thought about it, the stone sparkled brightly as fire. As his fire. Maybe that was why he loved that colour. It was him, his very being, all around and to the core. It was ... beautiful.

Before she could think about it, she had already slid the small piece of jewellery onto her finger. As long as she couldn't see him, that should suffice.

_Weird ... as if I missed him. _

* * *

Hours later, when she was already bored out of her wits from all the non-events, hours she had spent with circling her feet and following them with her eyes, or alternatively staring at the lessening light that she could see through the window, finally something happened. She heard steps through the hallway, several pairs of feet, and for a tiny little moment she was worried that they had managed to catch Ace. But no, that was impossible.

They appeared in front of the bars of her cell, two men and a woman, all in Marine attire, equipped with sabres and pistols in their belts. The men wore crew cuts, and the woman's black hair was tied up tightly.

_Finally some fun_, Yami grinned inwardly.

"Lady of the Shadows," the woman began and Yami flinched slightly. She still was not used to being called that name, especially by Marines. "You are herewith arrested and being put under the surveillance of the World Government, enforced by the Marine station of Cratos Island, first branch."

_Say fucking what._

"Your trial will begin in one week. I hereby inform you of your transportation to Impel Down in four weeks."

_Four weeks? Hilarious. As if I were here so long as to become witness of that. _

Yet she said nothing, and held back her grin. If Ace wanted to act as if he didn't care, she couldn't undermine his plan.

"Your interrogation will be starting tomorrow at eight o'clock. Until then, you will stay here and not bring trouble upon anyone. Am I clear?" The woman looked at her out of cold green eyes. She was quite young, maybe only barely older then Yami herself. Yet she was wearing a captain's cloak with several decorations shimmering in the dim light of the hallway.

Yami nodded, only to almost jump off the bed in alarm as the woman's sabre banged against the bars of the cell with the loud and awful sound of metal against metal.

"Am I clear?" she repeated sharply, pronouncing every syllable.

"Yah, clear," Yami answered, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Really, this woman had some serious authority issues.

"Fine." As she turned around, she didn't forget to send her an icy glare. She went away with her cloak wafting behind her.

Yes, this was going to be so much fun …

* * *

Yami's night was restless. She only barely managed to sleep on this bed to which 'comfort' was an alien concept, and her head was full of things. Mainly things about Ace and how she was going to scold him when he finally got her out of here. And how she was going to claim her right to sleep with him. Ohh yes, she'd definitely do that. She'd gone to prison for him, after all – the least he could do was repay his debt to her, right.

Then she'd wondered about how it'd be to sleep with him, which did nothing but make her grin stupidly, biting her lip in anticipation.

But in the back of her mind, there were those thoughts about how what she was getting herself into wasn't good for her at all. Not for her body, not for her mind, and not for her heart. Oh, especially not for her heart. She'd need to protect it even further.

The question was: how?

Day 2

That was when, at a quarter to eight in the morning, she was rudely awakened by a loud shout from in front of her cell after a total of three hours of sleep.

"Get up and get washed! Morihama-taichou wants you up there in fifteen minutes!"

A bowl of water was shoved into the cell through a small hatch at the bottom, and she was left alone again. Grumbling, she washed her face, wiping it with the bottom of her shirt. Combing through her hair with her fingers (which wasn't as easy as it sounded, handcuffed as she was), she made it up into a dishevelled ponytail, wishing she had a comb and toothbrush. And could get rid of those shitty cuffs.

Then, she was taken upstairs, led through some corridors, and into a small room whose only furniture was a large desk, an armchair-like desk chair, and a wooden stool before all that. She was told to sit there, and the guard took position behind her, by the door.

A few minutes later, the woman from yesterday entered, her captain's cloak winging behind her. With a look at Yami that could only be described as disgusted, she took place in the huge desk chair, starting to sort through some papers that the man accompanying her had handed her.

Feeling completely ignored and tired beyond anything else, Yami yawned.

"Not having much sleep, eh?" the man with the woman, who apparently was called Morihama, asked with a sneer. He had blond hair and a tanned face and looked almost pretty for a marine. Almost. "Sure she's shitting her pants, being captured 'n' all," he snickered towards the guard at the door.

Yami raised one eyebrow at him. She thought his obvious provocation too dilettante to answer.

That was when the guy actually had the nerve to hit her over the head. "Yo! Say something when you're asked, bitch!"

Yami had just opened her mouth in indignation when a sharp voice cut through the room like a blade.

"_Silence._"

The man shrunk back like a little bunny before the snake. The woman, who had to be his superior if she was the captain here, pierced him with her icy green eyes. "If you are using sexist language ever again, I will make sure that you become degraded. And if I catch you hitting prisoners again, I will personally put you in one of our cells for one week straight. Am I making myself clear?"

"Clear, Morihama-taichou, Ma'am!" the man responded with a salute. Yami saw him gulp, and tried to feel not all too gleeful – she was the one who now had to spend time down there, after all.

"Good." Morihama filed through some more papers before finally turning towards Yami. "So, Lady of the Shadows. This is not your name."

Yami frowned. "Is that a question? Because I don't wanna answer it."

The woman smiled coldly. "It was a statement. The question is, what is your real name?"

She snorted. "Like hell I'd tell you."

"It says here that Portgas D. Ace called you 'crazy girl'. But it seems that this is not your name, either."

"Seems so, yah."

"What is your name?"

Yami rolled her eyes. "Next question."

Morihama reached for a pen and wrote something down. Yami cocked her head and tried to read it, but was jerked back by one of the guards.

"What is your relation to Portgas D. Ace?"

_Like I know. _

That was when Yami decided to play a game, for all that it was worth. "I don't really know him. Like, I just met him a while ago, and we went in the same direction. You can confirm that with some guys on the Forum, and on that other island, I've forgotten what it was called again. There were only idiots there …" She made a show of looking thoughtful. "Are they your relations, I wonder?"

The woman gave a hand signal without a word, and Yami was slapped over the head again. "Ouch! I thought he wasn't supposed to hit me! See? That's what I mean. Only brutish idiots." She wanted to rub the place, but her hands were still cuffed.

"We already did confirm," the woman said, nodding curtly. "Yet, I do not believe your words. You are related to him, in some way or other. Do admit it, will you."

_Like fuck I will. _

She rolled her eyes. "I've already told ya. I don't know him. He's just some idiot I met along the way. I'm still fucking angry at him for abandoning me, that bastard."

Morihama cleared her throat and looked at the papers again. "It says that you yelled at him to escape."

_Oh yah, that._ She shrugged. "Well, one has to look good, innit so? Of course I didn't want him to just leave me here. I just meant for him to run out of reach and then come back and attack everyone to save me."

"You said it three times. And you shielded him from the trap."

"Yah, damn reflex. Y'know, I got a little brother, and Portgas somehow reminded me of him at times. That's why I did that. Stupid, too, wasn't it?"

She silently congratulated herself on her wanton imagination. However, Morihama didn't seem all too convinced as she was staring at her from narrowed, cold eyes.

"You addressed him as 'Cowboy'. That implies a certain intimacy, does it not."

_Intimacy alright. _Which brought her back to … _Oh, shut it_, she reprimanded her overactive mind. Now was so not the time to think about anything even in the vicinity of sex. Instead, she snorted. "Yah, right. Come on! You've seen that silly hat, haven't you? On a poster at least. Now don't tell me you don't find it extremely ridiculous and that you wouldn't want to rag him about it."

Morihama was silent for a few moments, but Yami felt herself scrutinised sharply. She knew that the other woman wasn't really convinced of her lies.

She sighed inwardly.

_Really … what an annoying person. Good thing that I won't be here for long. Hurry up, Cowboy. _

* * *

_**Coming up: **_

In a single prison cell with nothing to do, there was nothing to relieve her of her boredom or to divert her attention even for a minute. – Yeah, she's bored. Bored, bo-bored bored bored bored bored bored, bo-bo-bo-bo-bored, bo-bored bored bored (singing along with the Annoying Orange)

The blow to her right kidney was only unexpected with respect to where it'd come. - … and abused. I'm so sorry, Yami. I actually love you very much.

"Did you hope for him to come and save you?" Morihama asked calmly. "Are you not disappointed to hear otherwise?" – uh-oh. Bad news coming up?!


	56. Attrition

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 56: Attrition**

Day 3

After another of those sleepless nights, Yami felt incredibly wasted. Her hair was most likely not only a horrible mess, but also greasy like they had been dragged through a pot of frying fat. Her body had numerous spots that were itching like hell, but which she couldn't even touch because of the handcuffs. She felt the stickiness of dried sweat on her skin, and knew she was, in all likelihood, smelling like she hadn't washed for four days. Which she hadn't.

And that was only her exterior. Her eyes were burning from lack of sleep, she was hungry like seldom before, and her head hurt like someone was constantly hitting around on it with a hammer.

And as if that wasn't already bad enough, she was bored out of her wits. In a single prison cell with nothing to do, there was nothing to relieve her of her boredom or to divert her attention even for a minute. She had tried talking to the guards in front of her cell, but they just looked straight ahead and didn't respond, so she had given up after half an hour.

She wondered how long she had to stay here. After three days, she was pretty sure Ace would come any minute now, just burst into this stupid facility and incinerate everything in his way, including those stupid prison bars and her kairoseki handcuffs – which were making her wrists red and itchy underneath.

Of course, she knew that was bullshit – but it's just what you imagined when you had a little too much imagination plus time on your hands.

When she was told to get up and out of the cell for another of those interrogations, she was almost relieved. Even though that Morihama bitch with her authority issues had tried to get something, anything, out of her, she hadn't told her a single thing. And she wouldn't tell her anything in the future. Whatever that woman thought she'd reach with respect to her, she would have to give up sooner or later anyway.

She was brought into the interview room once again, and had to wait for that woman to make an appearance. The guards behind her were the same as yesterday, and she felt the hostile glances of the one who had hit her on her back.

Finally the captain arrived and took her seat, looking as strict and no-bullshit-with-me as ever. Yami almost leant back to make herself comfortable, until she remembered that the stool she was sitting upon had no backrest. _Stupid Marines_, she thought and pouted.

"Where have we left yesterday?" the woman asked, as if pondering to herself out loud. Yami, nevertheless, felt obliged to answer.

"Where you asked me for the thousandth time what I was doing with Cowboy. And where I told you to leave me the heck alone already."

She felt a dull pain as that shitty soldier hit her over the head once again. "Only talk when you're asked to!" he growled, but Yami knew he shrank back under the sharp glance of his higher-up. She bit back a grin.

"Well, that is indeed interesting, but even more interesting is the question that is bothering many people all over the world. What, Lady of the Shadows, were your aims when you destroyed the Mahogany Island branch?" Again with that impenetrable gaze.

Yami sighed with annoyance. "The heck I'll tell you anything. I though I made that pretty clear before, but seems you're just a little dense."

The blow to her right kidney was only unexpected with respect to where it'd come. "You fucking bitch!" the soldier roared.

"_Sakurada!_" The soldier flinched. Really, that guy'd never learn. "_Did you just use a sexist term to insult a prisoner?_"

"I ... I'm sorry, Morihama-taichou," he said. "But she's just a prisoner, and ..."

"I myself am more than capable of dealing with this prisoner. One more word from you, and I'll have to send you out of this room. Am I clear?"

"Clear, Taichou-sama!" He saluted. This time, Yami really grinned. It was just too funny, watching those Marine bastards bicker among themselves. This was definitely better than sitting around in that cell, waiting for Cowboy to arrive.

"You're grinning," the woman observed in a thoughtful voice. "I was thinking of sparing you the disappointment, but you seem to be in very high spirits, so maybe I will tell you either way. What do you think?"

Yami frowned, cocking her head. She shrugged. What could it possibly mean? What could that woman possibly say to disappoint her? That she was to be carried off to Impel Down in an hour? _Naaah, come on. _

"We received word yesterday that Portgas D. Ace ..."

_Was captured? Was captured?! Come onnnn ...!_

"... has left Cratos Island and set sail towards our neighbouring island."

_What?!_

She felt her expression starting to slip, and fixed it right away. Under Morihama's close scrutiny, however, she feared that she had noticed.

"He was seen by several people, some of them my own soldiers." Morihama leant back, her cold eyes never leaving Yami's. "There's no mistaking it. He abandoned you."

Yami forced herself to shrug. "And? Am I supposed to break down and cry, or what?"

"You were quite close with him, were you not? Now that he left you, are you not sad?"

Yami snorted. "Yeah, boo-fucking-hoo. I'm so sad, I could shed a few tears right here, can't you see?"

In fact, there was a huge lump forming in her throat, which she forced herself to gulp down. No way he'd just sailed away like nothing mattered, just no way. And if he had indeed sailed away, there had to be a purpose. He'd never be so stupid as to let some idiot Marines see him. He must have done it so that they'd draw the wrong conclusions, then come back secretly and barge in here and incinerate everything. Yes, that had to be it. She took a deep breath and felt instantly calmed, then realised where she was and disguised it as a sigh.

"Did you hope for him to come and save you?" Morihama asked calmly. "Are you not disappointed to hear otherwise?"

"No, I'm …" she started, but hey, that woman had probably noticed earlier anyways. "I … I'm not," she said, trying to get an expression on her face that looked as if she was desperately fighting a pout.

"Are you sure? If I was in your place, I would be sad and disappointed. And angry. Are you not angry at him for just leaving him alone? And after you saved him, too. In your opinion, should he not show at least a little gratitude, and try to save you?"

That woman thought she knew the right buttons to push, eh?

"I … No, I'm not …" Yami said and looked to the side, then right back again as if checking herself.

Morihama leant forward over the desk. "It is indeed unfair of him to flee the scene after being saved by you, is it not? Are you not angry at his insolence?"

"N-no – but … Damn, that bastard!" Yami suddenly exclaimed and clenched her fists. "How dare he!"

Morihama looked satisfied with her little outburst. Yet, Yami dared not exaggerating. She bit her lip, as if she had just betrayed some serious part of herself, and stared at the floor in front of her.

"No more questions for today," Morihama said, looking smug like a cat that had been presented a pot of cream. She ordered for Yami to be led back to her cell, where she was able to watch the sun go down outside, heralding the start of another of those miserable nights for her. And despite her tiny triumph today, it would most likely be miserable.

* * *

And she was right. As soon as she had fallen asleep, with troubled thoughts and desperately trying to reassure herself, persuading herself that Ace was bluffing, that he would come back and get her the fuck out of this stinking hole of hell, she was on Mahogany Island once again. This time, she was the next one standing in line, waiting for her own execution to come while watching the blade go down on her mother's neck. Her father had already been executed, funny, they hadn't even been killed next to each other. Her father had been dead by the time her mother reached the island on her own little kamikaze mission. But in her dream, she saw the lifeless eyes of her father, lacklustre and blind, staring at her out of a severed head. Down went the blade, and that indescribable chopping sound resounded in her head, on and on, louder and louder as her mother's head fell to the floor with a dull thud. Her eyes, too, were staring at her, reproachfully, accusingly. "It wasn't me," Yami sobbed as tears streamed down her face and her insides were frozen solid from pain and shock. "Please mother, it wasn't me, I never …"

"You killed them," her mother's head said, with a harsh and cruel line around her mouth that she had never actually worn when still alive. "You killed them all, and you're gonna pay the price!"

"No!" she screamed. "No, please …!" Then she was grabbed and dragged forward to the chopping block, while her mother's limp body was roughly shoved aside, as if it were garbage that hadn't yet been disposed of.

Her cries went unheard, and her tears mingled with the blood on the wooden surface of the block. Her mother's blood, red like her hair, red like Yami's own hair. As her face was pressed down, her cheek lay in the dark red liquid. It was on her lips. In her mouth.

As she glanced up above, she saw the bloodstained metal shine in the sun. It was the General who held it, the General whose face was distorted into a sardonic sneer, raising the axe that was meant for chopping off her head. Then it went down, and –

A loud bang rang out, resonating through the small cell. Yami shot up on her hard bed, breathing hard and looking around frantically. She could see the Marine in front of the bars sheathing his sword, with whose blunt side he had apparently rapped over the bars like Morihama had done before.

Yami blinked a few times, trying to breathe deeply and calm her frenzied heartbeat when she knew that there was no imminent danger. She heard the other guy, that scumbag who had hit her before, laugh maliciously further up the corridor. "Pity, eh. Shoulda let her sleep. Seems like she was dreaming something real good. Nice screams, dontcha think?" Another dirty laugh.

"It was annoying," the other one, the one who had woken her up, sternly replied.

Scumbag mumbled something about his 'no fun' mate, then they were quiet again. Yami took up her knees and wrapped her arms around them as best as she could with the handcuffs. Her heart was still beating furiously, it had been so real, and waking up to the sound of metal on metal just in front of you surely didn't help. Yet, she was glad she had been woken up. Maybe Number Two out there wasn't as asshole-ish as the other one – but then again, most likely nobody was.

Yami focused on her breathing, longer, slower breaths, until her body had calmed down again. She had always thought it to be endlessly embarrassing to wake up only to be informed by others that she had screamed in her sleep. Now that it had happened here of all places – somehow, it didn't seem to matter anymore. They thought they'd have her weak and frightened – they were wrong. Nothing that Morihama bitch said would move her, and nothing could get her to reveal anything at all. She was just waiting for Ace to come.

And he would come, wouldn't he. Oh, how she already looked forward to seeing the faces of those soldiers, fleeing as they were threatened with fire – his fire. His beautiful, angry, raging flames.

She noticed the first sunbeams of the day fall through the small hatch above, and reached out with her hand – both hands, as it was –, placing them so that it would be refracted by the ring with the orange stone. Orange, like fire.

She actually found herself smiling like an idiot as she thought of it, of Ace and his fight with Smoker, with Scorpion, with Aizen, and how he'd stood there in that Marine base, grinning broadly amidst all these soldiers intent on killing him. He'd looked kinda gorgeous then. Well, he mostly was. Just thinking about his body, with those pecs and abs that looked like carved in the stone that sculptures were made of, made her mouth water. She liked running her hands down that body, touching him, enjoying the warmth he emitted. Kissing him. Everywhere. Even – everywhere. How he had reacted when she'd sucked him off … and what she would give to do it again.

_Oh, jeez. I'll put that on my list of 'Things that you should _not_ think when you're alone in a prison cell'_, she thought and sighed quietly. _Really … when_ will _he come?_

And thus began

Day 4

She always tried to reassure herself that no matter what the opinion of those Marine bastards was, she'd get out of here in no time. There was no interrogation on that day, and she had a long, long day to turn it over in her mind about a hundred times. She had to remind herself that no, she hadn't really been here long, that this was just the fourth day of her stay, and that Ace could be here any moment. That he had successfully tricked them all. That he had even tricked her, almost. But he would come, she was sure of it.

The week did the opposite of flying past. She was interrogated again, once, on

Day 5

and left alone again, which, as she discovered, wasn't really good for her, not under these circumstances. For fear of falling into bad dreams again, Yami slept worse than before, and when she did, all she saw was Ace's face, only to wake up to a grey stone wall and metal bars in front of her. There was nothing more disappointing in the whole world. Morihama thought she'd disillusioned her? Well, she herself already did a great job in that respect, thank you very much.

She realised, not with a little amount of fear, that she had begun to miss him. His smile when he agreed, his scowl when he disagreed. His soft voice when he said something nice. His freckles. His moans in the shower, damn, even that stupid cowboy hat of his!

… _I probably need sex_, she sighed to herself. _And I'm so gonna get it from him when I'm out of here. This time? He owes me, big time. _

It was on

Day 6

when it happened. She had been woken up like every morning, presented with a bowl of water and insipid food, and was sitting on her bed, thinking of – oh, surprise! – Ace, when she heard footsteps in the corridor, and looked up. Someone appeared in front of her cell, and she suppressed an annoyed groan. It was Scumbag, and he wore an expression that promised no good. Grinning spitefully, he licked his lips for her to see – _Ewwww!_ – and turned his head to one side, motioning for someone to come. Then, he pulled a key ring out of his pocket.

_Didn't I have that already? Oh, please … _she begged inwardly as he put the key into the lock, and opened the door.

"Now, little bitch," he growled as he entered. "Let's hear those nice little screams again, shall we?"

_Why is this always happening to me?_ she thought. Last time, she had done her best to fight, to be sassy, not to submit. Now? Lack of sleep, food, hygiene and personal interaction had eaten away at her. One should think that you'd get used to being in prison – she'd been in one for two years, after all – but that wasn't true. Now, the moment she existed, was always the worst moment there was. It had been like that the other time, too. And even though she wanted to scream, kick and rip their balls off, all she could do was sit there and watch, almost incredulous as to what fate dared dishing out to her.

Another soldier went after Scumbag, looking anxiously to both sides of the corridor. "You sure we do this?" he muttered.

"Shaddup," Scumbag hissed. "You see that body, right? Even with all that filth, it's definitely worth it."

_No. No, this can't be happening. No, this just can't be happening_, she repeated in her head like a mantra.

"Let's see …" Scumbag moved closer, his eyes looking her over like she was something to eat, some lump of meat. Yami shuddered, and her fists clenched all by themselves. Yet she knew that if they decided to rape her, there was nothing she could do. There was no way she'd get out of these handcuffs, or deactivate them long enough as to be able to inflict some serious damage.

She felt tears well up in her eyes, stinging like acid.

* * *

**Author's note:** Once again, I'm sorry for the cliffy, but that's the way this works. Please bear with it and look forward to next chapter.

_**Coming up:**_

She felt the sudden determination to smash her head against the wall. She raised it, bent her neck to properly lunge out. – Another way of fleeing a situation …

Her hands drove through her hair. Not for the first time, she asked herself what the hell she had done in her life to deserve any of this. – I'm so sorry!

This little episode had just shown her how weak she had become, not because she was here, bound by kairoseki and all, but _because she was here_. – Still hung up on that, I suppose …


	57. Nothing At All

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

**Author's note: **Surprise! It's a new chapter! Yaaay! You may not believe it, but writer's fever has grabbed me and won't let me go. I'm already working on chapter 60 - that means, I've almost got it done. Good, because I didn't want to leave you hangin' with the cliffy. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 57: Nothing at All**

Tears.

No, she wouldn't cry. She wouldn't, not in front of those … Never.

As Scumbag looked her over and licked his dirty lips, Yami knew that the inevitable would happen. This time, there was nobody to save her. Ace was far away, wasn't he? No matter what he was planning, this time he wouldn't save her. She was on her own.

A dark feeling started creeping through her guts, dark and cold. She felt her own anger, so much anger, but it was merely simmering beneath the surface of her feelings. It wasn't breaking out, not like before, when she would've wanted to crush that guy's balls or something. It wasn't like she was giving up – she didn't know. Everything seemed so tiring all of a sudden. Fighting, not fighting – the result would be the same, no matter what she did.

She couldn't do anything.

As he came closer, and the nervous-looking guy behind him stepped inside her cell, too, she just stared at them, putting all her hate into that stare, and knowing fully well that it didn't matter.

"Lovely little kitty-cat. Lovely, dirty kitty-cat," he purred, grabbing his balls in a very, _very_ plain and unambiguous gesture, and her stomach almost turned with disgust and loathing.

"That's all you can do, isn't it?" She spoke in a quiet but very clear voice, conveying all of her rancour and revulsion. "That's all you lot ever do, isn't it? You and your fucking righteousness. Give a human power, just a little bit, and he will abuse it, and turn into a monster. To hell with you, to hell with you all!"

"Shut up, bitch!" He was at her with a few quick steps, shoving her down onto that plank-like mattress. Her head hit the wall none too gently, and she grimaced in pain, clenching her hands to fists that could do nothing, nothing at all.

He was tearing at her top, trying to rip it open. She saw the other one coming closer, trying to get a good view. She saw him gulp, saw his flushed face that showed all of his guilty interest.

_RRRIP_ went her top, and tears came to her eyes when she felt him grope her breasts, squeeze down like he was trying to knead some bread dough, so she closed them. She would not cry, damn it all. Many things had happened to her, too many things, this was nothing, she wouldn't cry because this was nothing. Put some stones in her way, fine. Put some sticks into her spokes, okay. But she had been thrown at with those stones and sticks. She had been beaten and maltreated by fate. This was merely the tip of the iceberg. Nothing much. Nothing at all.

She clenched her teeth when she was simply grabbed and thrown upon her stomach, squeezing her eyes shut when her lower body connected with the handcuffs and her arms felt like they were just being wrenched out of their sockets. _FUCK those bastards. FUCK FUCK FUC__K the whole FUCKING world. FUCK my FUCKING fate for this FUCKING shit. __I'm so FUCKING fed up with all of this FUCKING bullshit!_

Scumbag grabbed the hem of her pants and started jerking them down. Yami contemplated just whacking her head against something, the wall maybe, to have sweet unconsciousness cover up for what they were sure to do to her anyway.

Then Ace was in her head, telling her to fight. He was yelling at her. But she just shook her head, what good was it, anyway? And where was he? He had some nerve, telling her what to do when he was currently most likely so many miles away from her that he would need several days to come back. _Where are you? Where are you when I need you, Ace? Come back. Please come back. Help me. Help …_

She felt the cold rush of air as her backside was finally exposed. Somewhere behind her, and way too close, she heard harsh breathing and the jingling sound of a belt buckle being opened. A zipper went down. The rustling of clothing …

She felt the sudden determination to smash her head against the wall. She raised it, bent her neck to properly lunge out. The mattress gave way to something, someone, behind her. He grabbed her by the hips and –

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!"

A voice suddenly boomed through the cell, resonated everywhere, seemed to vibrate through the air.

The effect was immediate: she was let go of, and the weight behind her simply disappeared as the guy jumped to his feet.

Yami, only mildly surprised in her state of shock and not-caring-anymore, strained her neck when she tried to look over her shoulder.

And even though she was kind of stunned and in shock, somewhere in her mind it registered that she had, actually, never been as glad as now to see a marine officer.

Morihama was standing in the middle of the cell door, with her legs apart and her captain's cloak billowing behind her (that must have been her imagination, Yami thought later on, because there was no air down here to accomplish this task), her hand not only on her sabre but actually in the process of drawing it out of its sheath at the side of her left thigh. The metallic whir made Yami's heart jump in her chest – for joy.

And it made the two soldiers who had just been in the process of raping her jump with fright.

Morihama's mouth was a thin line, her face white with ill-concealed fury. "Am I speaking in Spanish, soldier?" she said, clearly pronouncing every consonant with her voice shaking from anger. "What, I repeat, and I will only repeat it once _before I cut both of your heads off_, do you think you're doing?"

"N-nothing, Morihama-taichou, Sir, ah, I mean, Ma'am!" Scumbag trembled with fear, Yami could see it. And even though she was still lying on her stomach with her hands painfully held together by the most stupid material there was in the whole wide world, with her bare ass exposed before everyone in the cell, she almost laughed when her brain had gotten up to the situation going down right in front of her eyes.

"Nothing, huh?" Morihama said slowly, quietly, dangerously, and her sabre slipped out of the sheath with a bright little _shinggg_. "Are you trying to subvert my authority, Sakurada? Calling me 'Sir'? Would you obey me better if I was a man, is that what you are currently trying to say, Sakurada?"

"NO!" the man yelped, and Yami thought that if she was into sadism, she'd so get off on that shithead's terrified expression right now. "No, Morihama-taichou, Ma'am, I'm sorry, I didn't mean –"

"You didn't mean – what exactly?" Morihama interrupted him coldly.

"I was – we were –" Here he looked at the other soldier, seeking help, but the man had shrunk back against the cell bars. "We were just … checking the situation and all … and then –"

"Checking the situation. ARE YOU KIDDING ME, SOLDIER?"

Sakurada-shithead-scumbag yelped like a dog whose tail had just been stepped on. Yami almost smiled. _Fuck sadism_, she thought, _this is terrific._

"P-please, Ma'am, we were just –"

"Just _what?_" Morihama, in coming closer, pointed the tip of her sabre at the guy's dick, which was still out since he hadn't had the occasion to tuck it away, but nowhere as large as it had been before. In fact, it had shrivelled up so much that it seemed as if it wanted to hole up in his body. "Just _what_ were you doing, _checking the situation_ with your disgusting penis out in the open like you were a disobedient pig? _What, Sakurada?_"

The guy was now whining like a baby, with big fat tears streaming down his face. Yami wondered what that woman must have done to receive such a reaction from her subordinate. _Authority issues, I said it._ Meanwhile, she tried to straighten up and get her pants in a decent position, which, of course, was a little complicated with her cuffs and all.

"Say it, Sakurada. What would you have done if I hadn't, by sheer chance, been here to stop you?"

"I … I …" the guy sobbed, with snot running from his nose and all. He didn't even look pitiful. He just looked pathetic.

"I wonder, Sakurada, whether you really will make me cut off that little extension of your body with this sabre of mine. Will you make me cut it off?"

That dickhead fell to his knees, pleading like the miserable little shit he was.

"No, no, no, Sakurada." She stepped even closer, her sword hand calm and steady. The midday sun was shining brightly through the tiny hatch up above, the brilliant shafts bouncing off the length of the sabre, making it seem encased in bright fire. She looked like an avenging angel in a Marine uniform. "Tell me, Sakurada. What would you have done?"

He spoke so low and inaudible that the woman knit her brows. "LOUDER."

"I … I would have raped her," Sakurada whispered hoarsely, his face to the ground.

"And you, Minosake?" She turned around to the other one, who collapsed like a closing umbrella. "Tell me. What would you have done?"

"I, I would have watched," the soldier said shakily.

"And then?"

"N-nothing, Morihama-taichou, Ma'am!"

The sabre swirled through the air to come to a halt mere inches away from his face. He screamed.

"I don't believe you, Minosake."

"I would have raped her too!" the soldier sobbed, which was exactly what Morihama wanted to hear.

"Get them to the yard," she commanded in the direction of the two soldiers who had just appeared in the hallway, as if she had just conjured them up. "I will use them as a warning to anyone who is contemplating any violent and sexist actions of any kind in my branch."

The two, whining and sobbing and begging, were lifted up – Sakurada had actually wet himself, to complete the puny picture – and dragged out of the cell.

Yami let out a shaky breath she hadn't known she had been holding. She was sitting on the bed, her knees drawn up, and wishing the two to hell. She hoped Morihama had earned that reputation fair and square, she really did. _Cut off his dick, huh? That, indeed, would've pleased my sore eyes to see._

Morihama was still standing in the middle of the cell, staring up ahead, saying nothing. Her black hair had loosened a little from the tight bun in which it was held. Her blade pointed to the ground.

Yami closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, once, twice. The adrenaline still clouding her veins was making her feel alert still, but she knew that she had nothing to fear from this woman. Not now.

Finally, she decided to break the silence. "Earlier, you asked me why I destroyed that Marine station on Mahogany Island," she started, and although she had spoken quietly, her voice seemed to bounce off the stone walls and resound through the cell.

The woman's eyes whipped around, scrutinising her closely. Nothing on her face betrayed any of her feelings, but Yami knew she had her attention. She took another deep breath before she asked, "Do you still want an answer?"

Morihama stared at her for a few more seconds, and Yami thought to see a tiny amount of fear and shock creep up into them. Then, without a word, she turned around and left the cell, throwing the door shut behind her like a gunshot through the silence. Yami heard her hard steps all through the hallway and up the stairs. When the sound had receded, she dared relaxing a little more, rolling her aching shoulders and trying to close her top where that shit had ripped it.

She didn't know what to make of it – any of it. Had that just been another of fate's cruel jokes with her? Just another 'I'll finally get you' situation that left her thinking that the whole world was after her?

Her hands drove through her hair. Not for the first time, she asked herself what the hell she had done in her life to deserve any of this. But then again, wasn't she just being ungrateful? At least with all those situations in the last few weeks, the fighting, the almost-rapes, hadn't she finally been the lucky one? Should she be grateful for what she had been spared, or should she be angry for having been in those respective situations in the first place? She didn't know. And as it was, she had stopped caring for it. This little episode had just shown her how weak she had become, not because she was here, bound by kairoseki and all, but _because she was here_. And because of her thoughts, the recollection of which made her head drop in shame.

Weak, like a puppet. Like a ragdoll, not even capable of fighting back. When those guys had come, she had hoped for Ace to save her, like he had done that time with Aizen, and that time when the fruit user had tried to roast her. She was relying on others – in other words, on Ace – way too much as for her to claim that she was independent and didn't need any help, not now and not ever. How could she rely so much on him when he wasn't even there? Was she nothing without him there to help her?

That just wasn't her, and she disliked it. She had always prided herself on being just absolutely fricking fine on her own. After all, she had managed to go on a rampage in a Marine base and not only survive it but killing everyone else. She had survived them all, various crews, some of which she had really held dear (two, to be exact – the one her parents had led and the one in which she had found Kujo), and she had become stronger. Or so she had thought.

When she had accepted Dai's mission for her, she had been kind of happy to see him again. Ace, that is. She had made it her own little goal to get him around, all the while fooling around and enjoying his company. A little too much, as it seemed. That was what her heart told her, too, and she shut it up and locked it in along with memories of her parents and Kujo. Because that was just not who she was.

* * *

Later that day, two women soldiers appeared at her cell door and unlocked it. When she had heard the steps, she just couldn't help but stare anxiously at the bars, wondering who it was. The other time this morning, it had started just like this, impersonal steps on stone floor.

"Morihama-taichou ordered you to take a bath," one of the soldiers announced. She had light brown hair that was made up into a ponytail, and cold green eyes. "Stand up."

Yami let herself be led to a huge bathroom, with showers on two sides, a row of sinks on the third and two bathtubs on the fourth, where they did something which now really cranked up Yami's mood: one of them produced a key from her pocket, stuck it into a small lock on Yami's cuffs, and off went the thing like it was nothing.

"You'll keep the other side for now. You'll get new ones later on."

They studiously averted their gazes as she did a weak little joyful leap, then swung her arms around like she hadn't done that for a week (which she hadn't). Then, she had to take off her clothes, which was uncomfortable but by no means as disgusting as if two men had been present, and was settled into one of the bathtubs filled with hot, fragrant, foamy water which was very much welcomed after that chilly cell. She was given soap and shampoo and felt like she was suddenly up in heaven.

For now, it was enough. As far as she was concerned, Morihama could feel guilty for a little longer.

* * *

_**Coming up:**_

"I thought I heard that woman say something about cutting their dicks off. But, ah well – as long as they got their penalty, I'm happy." – naaah …

_They announced this. Like a sick little parade. Because that's what the people want, huh? _– Annnd some more humiliation …

Pangs of conscience were plaguing him since he had left her on that island, in the claws of those Marines. – Short news from Ace! Yay!


	58. A Pirate's Life For Me

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

**Author's note: **Tadaimaa! Sorry for taking so relatively long, but since I'm now in the UK for my semester abroad and I didn't know how often I'd get to writing, I thought it a good idea to have some more chapters in store, just in case. I don't want to leave you hanging until Christmas, after all. So here's the new chapter, I hope you like it even though it's kinda dark. Be assured that it can only get better. And it will - really soon. Cheers!

* * *

**Chapter 58: A Pirate's Life For Me**

Day 13

One week had passed since that incident, one week in which Yami hadn't even been brought up for Morihama's little inquisition. Yami's trial, of which Morihama had spoken when she had been brought in here, apparently hadn't begun yet – or, if it had, at least Yami hadn't noticed it.

It was on this day that she was suddenly told to stand up before the two women guards (who had been there ever since, alternating of course) once again bound her hands together. She had, as the woman had promised the week before when she had taken her bath, received new handcuffs, like two bangles that were too tight and could only be taken off by unlocking them with a key. Made of kairoseki, of course. But at least now she could use her hands normally again.

The day after the incident, her curiosity had finally gotten the better of her, and she had asked one of her guards what Morihama had done to the two guys that had tried to rape her.

"Made them stand in the middle of the yard," the smaller of the two, a blonde with beautiful brown eyes, had said. Though her voice was hard and distant and none of them ever showed her pity or the like, they never unnecessarily occupied themselves with Yami's business like the guards before had often done. She had woken up from nightmares every night, screaming, but nobody had said a word to her about it, and for that she was grateful. "On a pedestal. She humiliated them publicly in front of the whole branch, showed how Sakurada pissed his pants, had them confess what they were about to do. Then she had them be thrown in jail and removed them from office." Here, Yami surmised to hear a little bit of glee in the woman's voice – but maybe that was just her imagination, which was running wild with so much time on her hands.

"Oh," Yami had responded, and stepped back from where she had stood at the bars. "I thought I heard that woman say something about cutting their dicks off. But, ah well – as long as they got their penalty, I'm happy."

Now, however, with her hands bound together behind her back, and on the way to what she supposed was another interrogation, she wasn't that happy anymore. She didn't think that woman had forgotten about all of those stupid questions she had posed last time, and even though her boredom was kind of interrupted, it was not the distraction she had wished for.

However, she was led past the corridor that led to the interrogation office, and instead they walked through another door with her, and then – sunlight.

She had seen the sun through the small hatch in her cell, but that was by no means a comparison to this. They led her through the door, and she couldn't believe it when she was actually outside, under the light blue sky.

Then she saw the carriage-like thing waiting in the middle of the yard, and frowned. There was some cage on its back instead of a cabin, and like she had suspected immediately, that was where she should go. When the door of the cage fell shut behind her, and was secured with a ridiculously huge lock, she sighed, leaning her head against the bars. Morihama was there, and she glanced at her with her cold eyes before turning away again.

They drove off through the station's large gate and into the streets of the town, and Yami was surprised to see the crowds to both sides of the street. They were looking straight at her, and she clenched her teeth. There was no doubt that Morihama had announced their little excursion, wherever they would go, in public so that Yami was confronted with all that anger and hate the population met pirates like her with. Like when she had been arrested, some of them spat at her but couldn't reach her. Some held wilted vegetables in their hands, as if they wanted to throw them, but under the sharp glances of her guards, nobody dared to.

_They announced this. Like a sick little parade. Because that's what the people want, huh? But that's not the only reason. I think … no, I'm sure they want to bait Ace. Lure him out of wherever he is. Because they don't believe he's gone away. Because they think he'll come and save me. I'm the decoy. Because that's what he'll do eventually, right?_ Her heart beat faster at the thought that he could be here somewhere, watching. But maybe that was what they wanted her to think? Maybe they wanted to get her hopes up just to crush them again, to demoralise and humiliate her, to break her. So that she'd tell them everything. Maybe they knew that Ace wasn't here anymore but wanted her to think he was, just to see her disappointment when she realised it. _Shit, I'm gonna get knots in my brain._

But it fit. Sitting here, virtually being sitting ducks, exposed to the townsfolk's hateful eyes, with her hair gone greasy from one week without a good washing again and looking generally wretched, was enough humiliation already. And at the same time she wished that if Ace was out there somewhere, he would stay the hell away because this could be an ambush of some sort, she wanted him to jump down from somewhere and blast them all away with his fire, take her out of this fucking mess and escape together.

They arrived at a stern-looking building, huge and plain, which turned out to be the district court, and her trial began.

* * *

After hours and hours of endless questioning before a judge and his auxiliaries, Yami was exhausted. Even after they had threatened her and told her that it changed nothing because they knew anyway, she didn't answer any of their questions. They didn't know her name, family, age, nor did they know about the crews she'd been with, but apparently they knew everything else about her. Of course, her killing spree on Mahogany Island was held against her, and she was charged with her simple existence as a pirate and an associate of Portgas D. Ace, with whom they ascribed a forbidden love affair to her.

It was ridiculous, but that was how it worked. Pirates simply had no rights as humans, even though everybody acted that way. Become a pirate – give up your human rights and be treated worse than a dog. Or a murderer. Or a rapist. Or a paedophile. Join our crew, what are you waiting for.

When she was finally brought back to Morihama's station, night had fallen already and the streets were empty, for which she was grateful. Or else she would've simply fallen asleep in front of all those people.

She was led back to her cell, which, perversely and shockingly, felt like coming back home. Her kairoseki cuffs were unlinked again so that she could move her aching arms and shoulders, and she was left alone with a sparse dinner of stew and a slice of bread. She ate sullenly and quietly, then collapsed on her mattress. Her habit of doing push-ups, sit-ups or running laps around the cell didn't seem appealing at all tonight. She felt alone, battered, and empty.

That night, she couldn't stop the tears flowing out of her eyes like fountains, and she didn't even try to mute her sobs as she cried herself to a sleep that was barely any relaxing. Her last thought that day – or was it already the next day? – was of Ace. Her head was so full of him, it felt like it would burst. And not for the first time, she found that she missed him terribly.

* * *

The days continued just like that, full of emptiness and separation from everything in the world that was good. In the morning, she did her push-ups just because it was one of the only things she could do, and a little more sweat didn't matter anyway. She was taken to the bathroom once again and after that about once a week, about which she was glad, but it didn't make her happy like before. The interrogations had also stopped.

The rest of the day she was lying on her bed, staring into space and hoping that this would end soon, one way or another. She had fallen into her prison depression, as she had named it when her spirits had been higher. The day was just there to be over soon, and every day was like that, exactly the same. The days came and went, she didn't care. Something in her had indeed broken that day when she had finally realised that there was no Ace on this island, and nobody who could help her. There was no escape from this place.

She hadn't counted how many days had passed since the day of that fake nonsense of a trial, when one day

(Day 27, actually)

there were steps out in the corridor, and a whining voice pleaded for mercy. Yami's eyes focused again from where she had stared at the wall, and directed themselves at the door, where a scrawny young man was being led to the cell – to _her_ cell. He had dark green hair and equally green eyes, as she could see for the sun was shining brightly that day, and was almost in tears as the guards opened the door with their key and threw him in.

The second he saw her, he stopped whining and pleading and his mouth snapped shut as suddenly as if someone had slapped him across the face. He just continued staring at her like she had suddenly grown wings. Or horns. Or hooves.

_What's with you? _she wanted to say, but nothing came out. _When was the last time I even spoke?_ She couldn't remember.

"Y-you …" he stammered, and his big green eyes reminded her of a frightened little mouse's. Only a mouse's eyes would be black, not green. Black like buttons. "You're … the Lady of the Shadows!"

That was a statement, not a question, so Yami chose not to say anything in response. Well, not like she actually chose anything. She just remained silent.

"E-everyone's talking of you! Y-you … don't you dare doing anything to me! There are guards outside, you know!"

_Say what. _

"A-and they'll step in if you try to kill me, you hear?"

His squeaky voice was making her ears hurt, so she took her hands up to cover them. Since she had lain motionless before, simply blinking up at him, her sudden movement apparently scared him like hell. He squealed – this time, _exactly_ like a mouse – and jerked back like she had bitten him.

Yami squeezed her eyes shut. "Could you _please_ remove this rodent from my _(home)_ cell?" she wanted to call towards the guards, but why bother? They wouldn't do it anyway, so she said nothing.

With time, the rodent finally calmed down and now sat in the corner that was furthermost from her, eyeing her suspiciously. Yami was fine with that – at least now he was keeping his mouth shut.

The rodent stayed two days, before he was told that a trial was awaiting him. "Don't go," Yami wanted to tell him, "Those trials are just fake. They'll hang you anyway, or whatever it is they're doing with petty thieves." But, as before, she kept still, and when the evening of that day came, he was back again. They had moved another bed in there so it was pretty crammed in the small cell, but if this was the only cell around, it just had to be.

He came back, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"What did they say?"

The young man flinched at the sound of her voice. It was the first time that she had spoken since he was there.

"Jail. Two years."

Yami nodded. She felt no pity for the guy, because, let's face it – her own situation was a tiny bit worse. She knew that what awaited her was Impel Down, and from everything she'd heard, that would probably be her death. Either that, or she was just waiting there to be sentenced to death afterwards.

"But I just … I just stole a silver plate! From a shop! Because my wife should have it better, and now … look at me," he sighed. "In jail with a murderer. Oh, my poor Laria …"

_Murderer_. Yes, that's what she was. He was absolutely right. Because she had killed people. Many people. Which makes you a murderer. Because it doesn't matter what they did, or what they didn't do. Become a pirate, become a murderer. _Join our crew, what are you waiting for._

She knew all that. And wasn't it at least kind of fair? They'd gotten their death sentence before her. Now she'd get hers because of what she'd done to them. Because of what they'd done to her. _Kind of_ fair, but what did you expect as a pirate.

_A pirate's life for me_, she thought and snorted.

Thoughts of Ace came and went, like usual. They had become darker, gloomier. She knew he was out there somewhere, but by now she had given up hope that he'd come for her. Maybe at first he hadn't meant to leave her, sure. She wouldn't accuse him of that, because she had seen the look in his eyes. But maybe it was simply impossible, and maybe he had learnt that, too. So he had taken off to where Blackbeard was still waiting for him.

Now was not the time for any illusions. His search for Blackbeard had stood above her the whole time, and who was she to him, anyway? She was sure he hadn't found her as annoying as he had always said, but that alone didn't obligate him to come help her. And even if he found her attractive and all, which he surely did, didn't mean he'd put his life on the line without thinking twice about it.

She thought of him as a man with a sense of honour, sure – but she also thought he was sensible, and when he saw that rescuing her from here was simply impossible because the whole island must be highly guarded still, then he just couldn't do anything.

The worst of it all was that she still missed him. Sometimes she just stared at that dumb ring as if she could see something in it, stared at it for hours and hours as if that would bring him to her. She was behaving like an enamoured schoolgirl, she understood that much, but what else was there to do? She was in prison, after all, she could do whatever the fuck she liked in here, as long as it didn't bother anybody. And if it brought him back, she'd do it as long as it'd take.

Day 29

The rodent-guy had been led away to the regular prison, where he was to serve his two years, and Yami was alone again. Well, at least now she could go to the toilet without anyone watching. Not that he'd watched, no. And not that the guards weren't just around the corner, no. But it still felt like getting back at least some sense of privacy.

Yami was sitting on her bed – oh, surprise! – when the steps came down the hallway. That was how it started, always: steps in the hallway. But from the sound of it, she suspected the person to be none other than Morihama herself – and she was right. When the woman appeared in front of her cell, she looked at her in mild surprise.

_What does she want this time? _

"Lady of the Shadows," she began and looked her in the eyes. "Pack your things. You will be going to Impel Down."

Yami felt as if she was falling down a deep, deep hole. With a tornado in it that whirled her around in a tight spiral. _Impel Down. _

Morihama stood for a moment as the soldiers to both sides of the cell saluted, watching Yami. Her eyes were as wide as saucers – Yami's, not Morihama's – and even though there were no tears in them, it was quite plainly visible that she was shocked.

_Four weeks already_, was what she thought first. _Never thought I'd be in here for so long. I thought Ace would have come before. I thought …_ She startled up when she heard an odd, scary noise, rasping and hoarse – but when she came to, she realised that it was her own, dry, humourless laughter.

* * *

_Faster_, Ace thought. _Why can't this damned thing go any faster? I've lost so much time already!_

His lips were a thin line from the stress that he put on his body by giving it his all to nourish the flames that propelled his raft. And still he felt as if he didn't come any closer to where he wanted to go.

Pangs of conscience were plaguing him since he had left her on that island, in the claws of those Marines. But it wasn't like he could change anything of it. They'd practically blocked up the whole island, and one man couldn't break through all that, not even one very talented man.

So, it had left him no choice than to take off. Whether they'd seen him or not, he didn't know and didn't care either. It wasn't like it mattered anyway, now that he was far away from that cursed place.

For now, this man was all that mattered. He had to find this one man, and everything would be okay for him again.

His muscles strained as he put some more energy into fuelling his vehicle, and stared up ahead where the sun was rising to signal the dawning of a new day.

* * *

_**Coming up: **_

By now, thinking of him made her sad like nothing else. Yet, she couldn't stop those thoughts. What had been, and what could have been – in another life. – Happy thoughts, huh?

Nevertheless, she was surprised when the woman simply flopped down next to her, disregarding etiquette and crossing her legs to sit comfortable. – That woman finally opening up. I've waited for that.

"He won't come." She cracked a little smile, and for the first time, it was honest. "And it's good that he won't." – I kinda like that scene.


	59. Worth It

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

**Author's note: ** Sorry it took me so long. But I found out that although you don't have to be physically at uni in the U.K. for as long as in Germany, the workload is amazing. In a bad way. Especially as I have to turn anything in before I leave - which is just before Christmas. Ack!

But now, enjoy! (That's an order^^)

* * *

**Chapter 59: Worth It**

Day 36

One week on the ship, and Yami was already sick of it.

Not that she'd been sick, hell no, what a disgrace for a pirate. But she was sick of it all, sick of this small cabin, of this stupid cage that assured she'd go nowhere (not that there was anywhere to go on this fucking Marine ship), of the silent guards sitting left and right of the cage. Women, as usual – since that one incident, Morihama had never returned to sending her male guards, that at least she had to hold in favour of the ice-woman.

She tried, as best as she could, not to think of what lay ahead for her, roughly three weeks ahead. Impel Down. The words still made a shiver run down her back whenever she thought of them. What she'd heard about it – it was the stuff that nightmares were made of.

When she'd boarded the ship, like one last gasp of her hopefulness, she'd thought for a moment that this was the situation that Ace had waited for. That he was there and just waiting for the safety conditions to fall lower and the Marines to be the most vulnerable, which was now. She knew that Morihama had, once again, notified the whole town (if not the whole island) of her departure, because the woman had told her about it. With which she no doubt aimed at Yami getting her hopes up all over, only to have them crushed when nothing of the sort was happening. Ace didn't suddenly appear from nowhere, and she was led into the ship's hull where a small, wooden cabin with a cage was awaiting her.

Well, at least all that wood made a cute little variation against the stone walls and floor, she could enjoy the ship undulating on the waves beneath her, and the cage was made from simple metal, not kairoseki.

Not that it made any difference, anyway. By now, with five weeks of being bound with kairoseki behind her, she felt as if her strength would never really recover from it. And she was most likely right with that: in jail, they'd give her other cuffs, maybe shackles, and then she'd die in them, sooner or later. When had been the last time she'd used her powers? She didn't know, and it made her sad. She missed her powers, missed them even more than she still missed Ace.

By now, thinking of him made her sad like nothing else. Yet, she couldn't stop those thoughts. What had been, and what could have been – in another life. How she longed for him, and for a life that didn't include any of this. A life without struggle, an easy life. And with no little surprise, she noticed how easily, in her fantasies, she included him in it. Pictures of them both with her little birdie, in another life – oh, not this silly apron-wearing, cooking and children-rearing stuff, but rather of the travelling-together, simply-being-happy kind. That sort of thing. It could have been great, maybe.

Well, at least Neela was now with him. He'd take good care of her, she knew that.

She must have liked him, huh? A pity that those things come to you after everything is over, said and done, and you can't change it anymore.

No, that wasn't true. She still liked him, no matter what had gone down the waterfall. For a little while, he had made her happy – just like that. And, with an intensity that shocked her, she felt that if she had the choice of either shoving him out of the way or letting him be caught – she'd do this all over again. Just like that.

At least he hadn't ended up like everybody else she'd taken a liking to: dead.

* * *

Later that day, someone came down into the hull, but instead of passing the small room, the steps actually stopped in front of its door. It opened, and in a flash, the two soldiers jumped to their feet and saluted. Morihama entered and nodded towards them. "At ease."

Yami's head lazily lolled to the other side for her to be able to look at the Marine woman. What was it this time? Execution tomorrow? Impel Down already in sight? Since the woman seemed to be a bearer of bad news for her, she wasn't exactly happy to see her.

"Soldiers, will you leave us alone?"

The two women looked first at each other, then at their captain, surprised. One of them opened her mouth as if wanting to say something.

"Did I speak in Chinese, soldiers?"

The women hurried to get out. As Yami had witnessed first-hand, if the woman's voice turned as cold as that, you'd better get the hell away from her. Then Morihama closed the door behind them and came to stand next to Yami's cage.

"What's up?" Yami asked tiredly.

Nevertheless, she was surprised when the woman simply flopped down next to her, disregarding etiquette and crossing her legs to sit comfortable. She pulled a small notebook and pen out of her cloak before turning her head, so that she was looking at her prisoner directly.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not here because I want to excuse any of your past or present behaviour. I'm not here because I pity you. And I'm not here to try to get you free. Do you understand?" Her cold green stare didn't waver a bit. In fact, to Yami it seemed that it became even more intense.

"Yah," she answered and nodded. Despite her lethargy and fear of the future and all, she found it hard not to feel her curiosity piqued.

"Good." She positioned the notebook on her lap before continuing. "As it is, I want to ask a few questions, and I'd rather you'd answer them this time."

"Why should I?" Yami's voice felt raw from sparse use. "What could you offer me in my situation, huh? More food, so that I'll have a few kilos more when I die? A bigger cage? So that I can at least stretch my legs before I get executed? A larger coffin? Seriously, woman, what could you possibly have to offer?"

Morihama was silent for a while, and her eyes darted to the floor for just one moment. It seemed as if she felt embarrassed, or almost understanding. Then she gave her that hard, unwavering stare again. "No," she said. "I offer justice."

The thoughts in Yami's head played whirlwind as they tried to wrap around this one word. _Justice._ A word with a bittersweet sense for her. There was so much hope in it. And so much grief, too.

"Justice?" Yami whispered. "How?"

"I'll see to that. Let that be the least of your worries."

Yami said nothing. She knew exactly what the woman was referring to. Since she had seen her fear in that moment when she had chosen to reveal at least a little part of her reasons, she had known that the woman wasn't like that, wasn't like the others who chose to shrug and turn away, to better things in life.

"Will you answer my questions?"

Yami opened her mouth and closed it again, not knowing what to say. On the one hand, there was only one person up until now who knew about all of this – and that was Ace. She doubted that even the General knew the good part. On the other … well, what was there to lose? The answer was: nothing at all, and she knew that well. She was going to be executed for being a pirate soon, the same crime she had been found guilty eight years ago, only now she really was guilty. It was so ironic in a way. She was now guilty of the crime she had been innocent of before, and here's why: because she had been unjustly accused of it. And wasn't that funny like fucking hell.

The question was: could she trust that woman?

And the answer was either quite simple or quite difficult. She didn't trust people lightly, that was for sure. But when she looked at that woman, really looked into her eyes, those cold green eyes that could make grown men tremble and wet themselves, she saw a light that calmed down all of her worries. And there were no more doubts left. If anybody could manage to do what she was suggesting, it was her.

"Yes."

Morihama nodded. "None of this will get out in the open until I've finished my research. I could treat you as a nameless witness, but –"

"No need," Yami interrupted her and gave a short, hard laugh. "I'll be dead by then anyway."

Morihama's eyes seemed to permeate her skin, to see through her, straight into her soul. "So you gave up waiting for Portgas D. Ace?"

Oh, why bother? It all was meaningless anyway. "He won't come." She cracked a little smile, and for the first time, it was honest. "And it's good that he won't."

"Why?" There was no maliciousness or bad intent in that question, just interest and curiosity, which was why Yami chose to respond to it.

"I don't want him in danger. He's a good guy."

"He's a pirate."

"One doesn't exclude the other, you know," Yami said mockingly, resting her temple against the bars of her cage. "That's something you Marines should learn first of all before going out judging people for what they are."

"Is that why you sacrificed yourself for him?" Morihama asked. There was nothing but interest in her eyes now, and Yami almost smiled.

"Yah, that's probably why. Good thing I had no time to think, because like this I could do the right thing."

"You say that even though you're going to Impel Down? Even though he didn't come all this time and even though you don't believe he'll come in the future?" She sounded incredulous, and Yami could see why.

"Yah. It was right."

"But … _why?_"

Yami looked out of the small porthole in the hull's side, and saw the waves viciously licking at the dull, stained glass. "Because he's worth it," she whispered, and couldn't understand any of it herself.

* * *

Morihama was a good listener, which surprised Yami a little. She never interrupted her, and while she talked, Yami had figured out some facial expressions of hers that showed themselves in the barely noticeable thinning of her lips when she got to the good parts, or the cold sparkling in her eyes when she seemed completely taken in by Yami's story. She never said anything, just listened patiently.

Yami was thankful for it. When she had told the same story to Ace, she had seen the emotions playing on his face, and she had known that firstly, he was pitying her, secondly, he had gotten angry like nothing else, and thirdly, he knew the rest of her and could draw conclusions with respect to her character traits, to her ways and habits, that this woman couldn't because she didn't know her. It was easier to tell her the whole thing.

The whole time, she was jutting down things into her notebook, scribbling fiercely and hastily turning the pages when the last one was filled with words, words that described the story – or history – of the person that was called 'Lady of the Shadows' on her wanted posters.

Day 55

Three days until they'd reach the Gates of Justice at Marine HQ, where they would be entering the Tarai Current that led them straight to Impel Down.

And to her doom.

Morihama had told her all that. Since their talk, the woman had made it a habit to send Yami's guards away and sit next to her cage all afternoon, sometimes talking about stuff like fear (Yami had a whole lot of it, hell yeah!), things they liked to do or the Marine's organisation and what went wrong or right with it. They had several heated discussions about the character of several people in the Marine hierarchy, some of which Yami simply thought of as dumbasses, of which Morihama, whose first name was Gina, couldn't approve at all, of course. But she _listened_, and that was all that mattered.

All in all, for the first time in Yami's life, she felt like she had a friend. Which was creepy, considering their respective professions and the situation in general. Now her life was completely messed up – but who cared. It would be over soon anyway, and nothing mattered anymore.

Morihama had tried to gain some information about Ace's whereabouts (well, okay – everybody in the Marine did, probably), but it seemed as if he wanted to keep a low profile, which was highly unusual for the fire user – but not very surprising.

_No news is good news_, Yami tried to comfort herself whenever Morihama's search had proven useless. She brought her the newspapers that arrived by bird courier, and Yami loved to read all about everything, since it was one of her very few sources of diversion.

Yet, she would have loved to hear about him. Hear that he was alive and well, kicking Marine asses, or maybe Blackbeard's ass. She wondered how his story would end. Would he get to defeating Teach and be able to return to his crew? Or would he … fail?

She didn't dare thinking about it. No, he couldn't fail. He was strong and all. He'd do it. If there was someone who could, it was him, with his endless confidence and energy that he emitted like waves. Maybe that was where he and his brother were the same.

That brought her thoughts in the direction of her own brother. Would he see her execution when the time had come? Would he be sad? She didn't expect him to cry over her, God, no, but he could at least be a little sad. She was his only sister, after all. Yet, he hadn't come to help her when she'd needed it. She knew that news could travel very far, and no matter where he'd been at that time, her parents' crew would have informed him of all that had happened, and he should have been able to put two and two together. He should have known that she was in there, slowly rotting away. But apparently, he hadn't cared. Or else, her strong and overly powerful brother would have come and simply blast it all away. Like she'd done, with the small and meaningless powers of an angry and frightened thirteen-year-old girl.

Would he regret it? Would he even care, just one bit?

She didn't know, and would never know. Because she would be dead soon.

* * *

It all happened when the sun had gone down, after beautiful golden orange glow had been floating in through the porthole, painting the room in bright colours. Morihama had just risen from her seat to leave for the day, when suddenly someone knocked on the wooden door.

"What?" the woman barked.

The door opened, and one of the women usually guarding Yami poked her head in. "I'm sorry, Morihama-taichou, but there seems to be trouble ahead. We need you up above as fast as possible."

Yami saw her frown deeply. "What troubles?"

"A ship up ahead. It has a Jolly Roger."

Morihama was already in motion and half out of the door. "Whose is it?" Yami barely understood the question but didn't understand any of the answer, because all hell seemed to have broken loose outside. Soldiers were running up on deck, and occasionally one or two of them came down to get something. Some were, doubtlessly, manning the cannons.

Yami sat there and tried not to get her hopes up. Just because it was a pirate ship didn't mean anything for her. Just because it was a pirate ship didn't mean it had to be the right pirate ship. Just because it was a pirate ship didn't mean the Marines weren't prepared for it.

And just because it was a pirate ship didn't mean it had something to do with _him_.

She let her head fall back against the bars of the cage and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to slow down her frenzied heartbeats. It didn't work. Every picture in her mind was Ace. Every breath she took was Ace. Every sound she heard was Ace. He was in her head and couldn't get out.

She started to cry. She knew that it couldn't be him, that it most likely had nothing to do with him, nothing at all. It 99 per cent wasn't him. But if that meant that she could place her hopes on the remaining one per cent, she'd happily do that. And she did.

She'd thought she was over it, and that she had long since reconciled with the thought that there was no escape. She had accepted it, her body had adjusted itself to the situation, to being behind bars, had braced itself up for what would be coming.

But now, at the mere reference to a pirate ship _that could be just anybody_ – the Marines were everybody's darling, after all – she found that her hopes had just been in a deep slumber, buried beneath all that laziness and lethargy.

As she sat there, biting her lip and with tears running down her cheeks, she thought that even if it _was_ just anybody, maybe it'd help her escape. And she realised that her body, calmed and used to this cage and all, was now brimming with energy.

She was not ready to die at all.

* * *

_**Coming up: **_

None this time, sorry! I'm not spoiling anything!


	60. The Meaning of Words

**Disclaimer:** I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

* * *

**Chapter 60: The Meaning of Words**

She waited, listening to the heavy footfall above, to the alarmed screams and yells, tried to figure something, anything out.

And waited.

_Routine procedure_, she tried to convince herself. _They're more than able to fight off a bunch of sloppyheads on a ship with a Jolly Roger, aren't they?_

But then there was that other voice in her head, telling her to shut the fuck up, because they wouldn't be making such a helluva fuss over just any sloppyhead ship. And that she should get off her damn ass and start thinking of a way to get the hell out of here.

Because her body wasn't ready to die yet, and by now it had infected her mind.

In retrospect, she didn't know what had happened first. She had been staring into the darkness of the just onbreaking night, trying to concentrate on the voices of the soldiers that were hurrying past her room, and while either of the then occurring things would have given her a major start, both of them happening at the same time made her body freeze up like she'd just been injected poison.

"Never thought I'd see one of Whitebeard's ships in my life," she heard one of the soldiers say. His voice sounded mightily frightened, and Yami's mouth fell open at his words.

_Whitebeards's ship?_ it shot through her head at the split of a second.

But she didn't have any time to further dwell on this, because at the same time there was movement in front of the window, and it sure wasn't some dangling rope or piece of swaying cloth.

She blinked in disbelief, and then it ran through her veins like electricity, and she couldn't move a bit.

Because in front of the window, right before her very eyes, appeared a face. And not any face, no –

_ACE!_

– it was the face of the person that she had wanted to see most of all, the face of the person she had missed so much, had longed for so much, had thought of all the time, the face of the person she –

_(loved?)_

– liked more than anybody else.

Her hands flew to her mouth because she knew that if she didn't press them on it, she'd scream. Two months of pent-up _everything_, she'd scream, she'd scream so loud that the whole fucking crew would hear it despite all that ruckus outside.

Nobody heard the sound of breaking glass under a boot because everybody was busy. Nobody but Yami, who sat there, wrapped in disbelief and her head in a tornado of conflicting thoughts, different feelings rushing through her like tsunamis.

He managed to climb through the now broken porthole, his face a well-known and dear and –

_(loved?)_

– expression of concentration. He carefully jumped down under Yami's saucer-like eyes, crept up towards the door that was still open, and closed it.

"Phew," he muttered.

And just hearing his voice made Yami want to laugh and break into tears all over again, at the same time.

"Close your mouth, honey, you look like a carp," he told her with a grin, and everything was so familiar and comforting and exciting that the tears came at the same time as a face-splitting grin broke out on her face.

"About time, you big idiot," she said but didn't mean it, and he grinned and she grinned and she was so _happy_.

"Now shut up or I'll leave you. You know how long I needed to convince Izou to actually pull this shit off?" But he didn't mean it. Instead, he knelt down and was on one level with her, and he was so close to the bars of the cage that she could have bent forward and kissed him. And – fuck, it'd been two months! – she reached through the cage, grabbed his head and yanked so hard that his face met the metal bars, and none too gently. But she didn't care because she was doing the same, desperately pressing her lips on his, eager for contact, feeling life and love and joy surge through her, making her dizzy.

"Whoa there," he mumbled when she finally let go, and his face was as flushed as she imagined her own to be. "I missed you too, Shadow Girl."

"Get that fricking thing open!" She was panting and she knew it, her body was so high on adrenaline and endorphines that she felt like floating in the air, like being wrapped up in cotton wool and at the same time so _sharp_.

As he examined the lock, she noticed the droplets of sweat on his forehead. He wasn't wearing his blaringly orange hat, either. This was probably what Ace on a secret mission looked like.

"Get as far away from the door as possible," he ordered, and she tried to shrink into the far wall of the cage. He grabbed the edges, then lunged out and gave the door a hard kick. It flew right inwards, and Yami had to catch it so that it didn't crash right into her.

Then the door opened, and everything just happened in a blur.

Morihama took a step in, saw the situation, and pointed her gun right at Ace. And because Yami knew the woman, she also knew that she wouldn't spare time for spouting meaningless words. Ace had turned towards the door, his chest bare and unprotected.

When the shot rang out, catching him completely by surprise, Yami had long since decided. Her body like a spiral spring that had been pressed together and now finally had gotten the chance to unfold, she was out of the cage at almost the same time, reaching out, and with an effort that very nearly made her collapse right there, had it not been for all that adrenaline because her body was, for once, cooperating, she made her hand go black through the cuffs –

And caught the bullet one inch before it would have gone straight through Ace's chest, drilling a hole into his large, gentle, beautiful heart.

"AAAAHHH! FUCKING HELL!" She screamed when it hit her hand, hot and deadly despite her attempt on Colour of Armaments – a very weak and not very well-planned attempt, but yet a success.

"Freeze!" Morihama yelled, and judging by the model of her gun Yami knew she had to reload – but then she drew a second pistol right out of her belt. "I knew this was fishy! I knew I'd find you here, Portgas D. Ace! Now let me arrest you!"

Yami gave a snort. Smoker had said almost the same thing back then. _Let me arrest you._ Really, when did that ever work? _Stupid Marines._

Her eyes met Morihama's, and there was some sort of silent understanding between the two of them in the moment that she pointed her gun straight at Yami's own heart this time.

"Shoot," Yami whispered, and heard Ace gasp behind her, but he was too slow and Morihama too fast. "And ... thank you."

"Sorry," Yami heard her say, or maybe she'd only moved her mouth, but Yami knew. And then she shot.

She felt the bullet permeate her skin, she had no more energy for doing any kind of haki, and Ace was too slow –

Excruciating pain below her left shoulder. She screamed. Then she was being grabbed and just shoved through the now glass-less porthole, but he was still holding her, and there was a rope outside, and his raft was waiting down below.

She only perceived everything as one big blur and couldn't clearly remember any of it because it all went so fast, but she didn't black out. She was free, finally and actually free, and like hell would she miss any of it by stupidly fainting like a missy.

Shots were ringing out behind them, but they were already too far away to be dangerous for them, speeding towards a huge ship with Whitebeard's bearded Jolly Roger proudly waving in the soft wind.

"Fuck!" Ace muttered and continued pressing a piece of cloth on her wound. She saw with surprise that it was her own top, which he had simply ripped from her body like it was nothing. Good thing they let her wear a bra.

"Jeez, and I always dreamed of you ripping my clothes from me," she hissed, trying to ignore the red hot surges of pain in her shoulder. She'd thought her hand was injured? Well, there she had it.

He was looking at her with such worried eyes that she laughed out loud, which hurt like she was being shot all over again. "Agh ..." she moaned, and squeezed her eyes shut. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

"Damn! Looks like she didn't hit any vitals," Ace muttered angrily. "That at least. Should've burned her to a crisp, that bitch!"

Yami smiled faintly. "No. That was on purpose, and good that you didn't. She's ... I know that sounds weird coming from me, but she's really a good person."

By the way he looked at her like she was an alien from outer space, it really must have sounded weird.

She rested her head against his shoulder and sighed. She couldn't describe any of those feelings that had taken hold of her, but she supposed that it was mainly happiness. "I was waiting for you to come."

He wrapped his arms around her while they were driving, still holding her top to her wound to stop the bleeding. "I know. I'm sorry. I'm so damned slow."

"What were you doing for so long? Tomorrow we'd have reached the Gates of Justice, and ... and ..." She couldn't go on. Her voice was thick with all the things she wanted to say, with all the things that had almost killed her throughout the last two months. "I almost gave up. I ... thought you wouldn't come."

He squeezed her softly, and there they were again, those traitorous tears. She forced them back down. Enough crying to fit a lifetime.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he whispered, and it was okay – almost.

"You owe me this time, cowboy." She grinned despite the pain in her shoulder. It was worse than last time. Wasn't she lucky that everybody always missed her heart by an inch upwards? She sure was.

"Everything. Everything you want."

"Everything? Really?" And this time her ambiguous meaning surely didn't escape him.

"Everything," he confirmed and, as if showing he'd understood, kissed her below the ear.

"I missed you. I really missed you, Ace."

"I missed you too. So much." And then he kissed her, properly this time, and oh how she'd missed them, those lips, and how hungry she was for them. She would have grabbed his head to snog him into the ground like before, but lifting her arm hurt, and the other one was being squeezed in-between them somewhere. When he broke the kiss, she produced a little indignant sound that made him chuckle and kiss her on the nose.

"You know, the worst thing was leaving that island ... If anything went wrong ..." He shuddered.

"She told me. That woman. At first I couldn't believe it, but then I thought that maybe you had a plan or something ..."

"Yeah. I was searching for someone who'd help me. I found Izou just a month ago. If I hadn't, I'd have come back and tried it alone."

"You'd have died."

"More trust in my abilities, please," he grumbled and leant his forehead against her temple.

_Trust, huh?_ "I ... you know, I ... I find it hard to ... trust in people and all, but ... I tried and ... I ... somehow ... lost it back then, and ..." She broke off, not knowing how to go on.

"It's okay. I'm happy you tried." He kissed her on the cheek.

"I really did, too, in the beginning. I wasn't scared at all because I thought you'd help me ... _save_ me ... right away." As she thought back to that time, it already seemed like oh so far away in the past.

"I feel honoured," he said, and she could feel his smile against her temple. But she knew he meant it this time. "And I'm sorry I had to disappoint you."

"Screw that, cowboy. You're here, and that's really all I wanted." And it really was. Maybe her imprisonment had damaged her, or at least left traces – but she was sure that there was nothing that was beyond repair.

* * *

When they reached the 16th Division's ship, a rope ladder was let down for them. Since Yami couldn't climb, Ace carried her most of the way until helping hands stretched down and pulled her aboard.

Standing half-naked in front of a whole pirate crew was a new experience for her, and she cursed that damn wound for bleeding so fucking much. She was probably looking like a ritualistic sacrifice, with blood all over and in barely more than underwear.

"Yo," Ace greeted when he hopped down from the railing. "Get a doctor here, and fast!"

While that happened, a large man with black hair done up into a traditional-looking knot, with lipstick and rose-coloured kimono and generally resembling a geisha but with two giant pistols dangling from his hips, stepped out of the crowd. "So that's the girl we almost had to start a war over?" he said and nodded towards Ace, who just shrugged.

"Thanks, man."

Yami stepped forward, which made the doctor, who was just examining her wound, protest mildly. Without thinking much, she bent her head in front of the man who just had to be the captain of this ship. "Thank you so much for saving me. I'm really indebted to you."

"Naaah, come on," Izou said and waved it off as if he hadn't just almost fought a highly guarded Marine battleship on its way to Impel Down. "None of that. Ace is family, you know? He'd do the same for me."

She saw the glance the two men exchanged, and swallowed hard. _So that's what he meant by brothers_, she thought and her heart was heavy. _Without doubt_ he_'d do the same for Ace … but never for me, huh? My life is just a whole fucking mass of irony. _

"Is there anything you need?" Izou asked, and she almost snorted.

"Actually, yes. Hm, where to start? Food. Booze. Sleep. A bath. Sex. Treatment for the wound. Oh, and those annoying cuffs off. Not necessarily in that order, mind you."

Roaring laughter from the crew around them. Izou grinned. "Well, I can help you with … most of that." More laughter. "The wound goes first, I'd say."

"We have to get the bullet out," the doctor behind her said, and Yami grimaced.

"Shitty thing. Thanks, Morihama. You bitch," she muttered and didn't really mean it. She let herself be dragged towards the infirmary while Ace followed them and Izou barked commands to set sail towards the crew.

"I have this anaesthetic, but it needs a little time to be efficient, and –"

"Yah, right. Just do it like that, I don't have time for this." After so many days of imprisonment, she wanted to _live_, not sit in a sterile room being out cold or anything. And she was in a hurry. It felt like life had just gone on without her and she needed to make up for lost time.

"Alright," the doc sighed, muttering something about stupid idiots who never wanted his anaesthetic, and after disinfecting and bandaging the wound on her hand, advised her to take off her bra which Ace did for her, and reached for his instruments. Yami, meanwhile, reached for Ace's hand with her good arm.

When he looked surprised, she smirked at him. "I took that damned thing because you were too slow, cowboy. I'll try to transfer a little pain on you, just to be fair, you know."

As an answer, he just squeezed her hand. And that's what she did as soon as that doctor started rummaging around in her wound – squeezing. Like hell. Because it hurt more than actually being shot, and she almost passed out. Only sheer willpower kept her upright, and her lips were bloody by the time he was finished and started wrapping her up.

"Shiiit," she moaned when she was finally released, and Ace had to support her from the side so that she wouldn't just fold up on the spot. "If I knew it'd hurt that much, I'd just have let her shoot you." But, of course, she didn't mean that as well.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, and when she looked up at him, she saw all that horrible guilt on his face. "And thank you. So much. You really saved my ass there. I'm grateful."

"You can make it up to me later," she said with a smirk that looked quite lopsided from all the pain she was in. How long would those fucking painkillers take to kick in? She could really use it now.

"No, really, Yami. I mean it. And before, too. You really saved my ass. Several times now." They had arrived at a little room, which belonged to the First Mate, who had spontaneously decided to sleep with the crew in one of the hammocks. Nice of him.

Ace opened the door and led her to the small bed so that she could sit down, but she had spotted something – someone – and completely forgot about their talk. "Neela!" she yelled as the cockatiel came sailing down from where she had sat on the curtain pole. Flying straight at her and landing on her outstretched wrist, Yami laughed as the bird started to bark and say words in excitement.

"Ouch, ouch! Let there be tangerines! Whitebeard is a fruit ship! Woof! Marines bad pudding!"

Yami laughed so hard that her shoulder started to hurt all over again, and rubbed her nose against her birdie's green beak. "Oh God, I missed you so, little one."

"Tangerines! Fruit ship in olive oil!"

"What the hell did you teach her?" she asked Ace as the bird climbed her shoulder and started nibbling at her hair. "She's such a fast learner!"

Ace, who still stood in the middle of the room, shrugged. "She's been in the kitchen for a couple of days. The chef likes her, feeds her stuff. I only kept her in here now because it could've become dangerous." He urged her to sit down on the bed, then knelt in-between her legs to be at eye level with her. "Yami. Please stop making it a habit to help me by endangering your life, okay?"

Yami snorted and turned her head to watch Neela hop around on her shoulder, then climb down her arm. "Yah, right. Big alpha male doesn't like having his ass pulled out of the fire by a girl, I know."

"Yami, look at me." He took her face into both his hands, gently running his thumbs over her cheeks. "This doesn't have to do with any of that crap. You know that, don't you? It's only that I'm worrying about you."

Yami hmph-ed. "Yah, because I'm a weak little girl."

"Remember the last time I called you that, huh? I wouldn't dare. No, Yami. It's because you're my precious companion, and I don't want to have you in harm's way when it could be me who was."

She opened her mouth and closed it again. How could he say such things so easily? With his deep black eyes gazing at her like gleaming coals and his face so serious. She felt her heart clench, and it ached a little.

"But …" she started, and had to try anew because her voice simply broke off. "But I don't want that! You see, I'm doing this because I'm feeling the exact same way, don't you see that? I'm worrying about you too, sometimes, and what gives you the right to put your feelings over mine? I also don't want to see you like that, and you had to butt in for me most of the time anyways, and I just acted on impulse, and if you don't want me to do it then just don't get into those situations, okay!"

He was gaping at her, trying to understand her sudden little emotional outburst. "O-Okay," he then said, and a slow smile spread on his face. "Sounds fair, somehow." And he bent forward and kissed her, and nothing in the world could keep her from grabbing his head, burying her fingers in his silky dark hair and kissing him back like her life depended on it, though Neela cried in protest and fluttered down onto the top of the bed. His hands settled on her back, stroking her bare skin, and it felt like heaven. She would never ever doubt that Cloud Number Nine really did exist.

Then he leant his forehead against hers, and she sighed happily, and they sat for a while like this. Until her stomach let out a loud growl that could only mean one thing.

Ace started laughing. "Really, what did they feed you? I thought you were bonier than before … ouch!"

She had hit him over the head for his impudence. "Shut up! What should I have done, eat them up? Huh? I'm fucking starving here! Let's go eat something!"

Of course, nobody needed to say that twice to Portgas D. Ace.

"Oh, and give me a shirt, cowboy. And let's get those fucking cuffs off, I'm so fed up with them!"

Ace showed her the ship's own blacksmith, and she marvelled at all of the weaponry in his little workshop, but when he brought out his tools and started working on the spotted material around her wrists, she couldn't focus on anything else. She waited with baited breath until the last of the kairoseki stuff fell down – and then she was up, up and away, swirling through the room, laughing like a lunatic and scaring the heck out of the poor guy. She flew out on deck and did a few laps around the ship's superstructure before appearing again right before Ace's feet. Or _on_ his feet, rather. Laughing and panting and crying, she broke down into a heap when she tried to remain standing, and he bent down and helped her up and took her into his arms, and she laughed and cried and felt so giddy from all the excitement and joy and _being alive_.

* * *

After their meal, Yami thought that she must have seemed very much like a pig, considering the little time and massive amount of food involved, but she couldn't have cared less. She felt positively starved, and only when the – what, tenth? – plate was piled up onto the others did she feel satisfied. Hunger-wise, at least. She sighed and rubbed her belly that was now sticking out. But really, she couldn't care less.

Ace, sitting next to her and having just scoffed about the same amount of food that she had, chuckled. "Never seen you eat so much. Now what on earth did they give you, water and bread?"

She gave him an indignant glance. "Water and porridge. And soup."

As his expression became horrified, she couldn't help but feel a little smug. He could blame himself for just a little more. Until his dues were paid. And speaking of that …

She stood up and grabbed him by the arm. "Okay, come on. There's some hair that needs a washing. And the rest of me, too. Oh, soap, soap, soap …" She disappeared into a blur of shadow, then reappeared again at the door and grabbed the frame for support. "Oh _God_ I'm so happy!" She let Neela sail off towards the chef, who offered her half an apple, and almost skipped off despite everything.

When they were in the room that momentarily seemed to be theirs, Yami planted her feet in the middle of it, grinning at Ace who had followed her. "You know, I would take that extremely tiring task of undressing upon myself, but I'm just so _exhausted_, and my arm, and besides …"

She didn't need to say more, just stand there with her eyes closed while he pulled the way too large shirt that he had lent her over her head and threaded her healthy arm back through the short sleeve. Then, as carefully as if he was dealing with a glass figurine that could break any minute, he opened the knot that held her arm sling together, and slowly took it off. She bit her lip as sharp pain shot through her upper body when her arm moved, but she would have to live with that. At least the special ointment the doc had given her would accelerate the healing process. And now, without the kairoseki, she felt so free and light that she didn't doubt that she'd heal very fast.

Her eyes popped open when she felt Ace's lips upon her shoulder. She watched him kiss his way down to the bandages that ended just over her left breast, and the sight of him, so … dedicated, made her swallow hard. His lips left a hot trail down her upper body, sparing the bandages, and when he reached around her to unclasp her bra, he looked up at her and smiled, and his smile was so sexy at that moment that her breath hitched involuntarily. _Oh, God. How I wanted to see that smile. _

When he had removed her bra, the reverent glance he directed at her breasts kinda made her feel like a goddess. He placed a feather-light kiss upon her right nipple, and Yami shuddered slightly. She wanted to just grab him and throw him on that bed and pull his pants down and sit on top of him and ride him until they both passed out … but maybe that was not the best idea she'd ever had. Even if that bastard voice in her head told her so.

After he had removed her hot pants and undies, he gently lifted her up and carried her into the adjacent small private bathroom. His eyes never left hers, and they were oh so soft, and she loved it. Being treated like a princess hadn't necessarily been her thing – but being treated like a princess after just getting out of a fucking _cage_? Heavenly.

He placed her in the little tub and turned the water on. There even was some old bubble bath standing around and catching dust in a corner, but it was more than enough. Soon Yami's legs and belly were covered by scented, foamy water, and she sighed and leant back against the tub's side.

"I'd try and massage your shoulders, but I don't think that's such a great idea …" Ace said.

She just grinned and raised her leg, wriggling her wet toes in his direction. "You can start with my feet, if you're so keen on massaging something …" she suggested.

Thus, after a thorough foot massage, a just as thorough hair wash and lots and lots of soap, Yami felt like a human being again. Ace carefully lifted her out of the bathtub and towelled her down before once more taking her up into his arms and carrying her back into the room.

"You know, I can walk by myself, sweetheart," she said happily, snuggling into the towel and feeling extremely pleased.

"As if I'd let you," he retorted, and she grinned. Somehow she really liked this.

He sat her down on the bed, but when he wanted to cover her with the blanket, she caught his arm and stopped him. "Ace. I'm not cold." Looking up at him, her hand on his arm moving upwards, she tried to convey a message. And it worked, instantly.

"You sure?" he asked, his eyes burning, and damn her if his voice hadn't just gotten a lot rougher.

"Last thing on my list," she said, smirking. "Come down here and pay off your debts."

* * *

She didn't have to say that twice – he was an honourable pirate after all. Drinking in that beautiful, sexy picture of her, naked on the bed, which even the bandages couldn't tarnish, he crawled on the mattress next to her, slowly, carefully drawing her near. His erection, which he had cursed all the time in the bathroom for being a complete asshole, strained against the rough cloth of his jeans. He let his hands roam over all that creamy skin, oh, how he'd missed her. And not necessarily because of this, but … he couldn't exactly say he disliked it, either.

When he kissed her, she nipped at his lower lip, smirking, encouraging him to do a lot more. And he was so ready for that.

Planting kisses all the way down her throat, his hand caressed her hip, sliding under her body to squeeze her butt, which earned him an eager little moan. He continued to kiss his way down her chest and belly, concentrating on pleasuring her all over, like she deserved it. His hand slid lower, in-between her legs, until it found exactly the right spot. He started slowly rubbing it, and just when he wanted to slide one finger into her, she –

– gave a snore.

Ace blinked, dumbfounded for the moment. "Yami?" he whispered, and when he didn't get an answer, he scooted back up to have a look at her face. She had her eyes closed and was breathing evenly. She was …

"Asleep," he mumbled with no little wonder. He stared at her peaceful face for a few more dumbfounded moments before he started to chuckle and shook his head to himself. "You've _got_ to be kidding," he snorted quietly, shook his head once more and kissed her on her forehead. She gave a soft murmur and turned slightly, huddling up to his still slightly aroused body.

Ace sighed, still chuckling. Then he drew the blanket up to cover them both and slid his arm beneath her head, drawing her into an embrace that had her sigh happily (or so he hoped).

When he finally fell asleep, it was with a warm feeling in his stomach and his head full of her.

* * *

_**Coming up: **_

"Yo, Izou! What's for breakfast? I'm positively star…ving …" – running gag is back!

The geisha-like man almost curled up with laughter. "Seriously, Ace. Don't get the wrong impression, you're really not that hard to read, you know?" – big brothers know better. Fun moments with Izou ahead.

"Impatient, aren't we?" he smirked, but she could say the same about him. – And yup, it's exactly what you think it is.


	61. Almost!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own One Piece. I only own Yami.

**Author's note: **Hey guys, I'm sorry for the long delay. I'll try to be faster next time!

* * *

**Chapter 61: Almost!**

_Mmmmmh … cozy. _

Ace sighed, still half-asleep, and nuzzled his head into his warm and soft cushion, drawing that female body closer and enjoying the way she smelt. Because she was his, and he was hers, and it felt so good to wake up with her …

Especially, he had to admit when he opened one eye, with his face pressed up against her boobs.

He smirked, nuzzling once more, before he realised what all this white cloth meant. Okay, he had the right, the healthy side of her in front of him, but better be careful. He placed a feather-light kiss onto her dark pink nipple, and she moaned lightly in her sleep. Ace felt his cock going ramrod stiff at the sound, and it hadn't exactly been limp in the first place, mind you. He shuddered and clenched his teeth, determined not to wake her because sleep was good for her health and she was injured and all that.

_Get up, you jerk_, he cheered himself on, and then she moved her leg and it was pressing against his erection and he could have hit his head against the wall just to find his focus again. _Later. Later, dammit! Get up, idiot!_

He gently disentangled their limbs and sat up, not without a longing glance back. She was lying on her side, the bad shoulder up, and her hair was all around her head in a sweet mess. Her mouth was gaping slightly, and she had her hands clenched into loose fists in front of her face.

_Body like a goddess, sleeping face like a kid_, Ace grinned. It froze, however, when he noticed, like the day before already, that her ribs were showing more than before and her skin colour wasn't exactly what you would call healthy. She was pale. Only her cheeks showed that it was getting better. They were slightly rosy again. He reached down and tugged the blanket all around her sleeping form so that she wouldn't be cold without her personal heater, he snorted to himself and got out of the small bed. After splashing some water into his face and using the toilet in the tiny bathroom, he looked back at her, content to find her still sound asleep.

He stepped outside and closed the door behind him. His stomach was growling, and he probably should get something to eat for Yami too, for when she woke up. He was dead set on spoiling her with as much food as she could eat, so that her body could regain its energy and put on the weight again that it had lost during those two months.

On his way to the galley, where really delicious scents were coming from, he saw the familiar kimono-clad figure of the ship's captain stand at the railing, and whistled. "Yo, Izou! What's for breakfast? I'm positively star…ving …"

And that was when all went black around him, and he went down with a loud and dull thud that he couldn't hear anymore.

* * *

Ace blinked, trying to remember where he was. Ah, right. On the floor of Izou's ship.

He grinned sheepishly as he beheld the many faces staring down at him, some looking worried, some just grinning. "Ah, sorry. Musta fallen asleep …"

"Not much sleep in the night, huh?" Izou's First Mate said. "Just leave the bed intact, you hear me?" The crew roared with laughter, and Ace grinned while inwardly face-palming.

_Couldn'tve been farther away from that._ Though, he had to admit, it wasn't as if he had been able to fall asleep just instantly like that, after what had transpired between the two of them the night before.

"Still the same, I see," Izou smiled and reached down to give him a hand. Ace grabbed it and could have kissed the cook for handing him a large rolled omelette and a bowl of rice, which had disappeared into his stomach mere moments later.

"Still the same," Ace confirmed and patted his stomach. The crew had dispersed after realising that nothing was wrong with him, and the First Mate was ordering them all over the ship once more.

"How's she doing?" Izou inquired, and jerked his head in the direction of the First Mate's cabin though it was clear whom he meant.

"Still asleep," Ace answered and leant against the railing, crossing his arms and turning his face towards the strong morning sun. They must have been around a summer island, he mused idly.

Izou nodded. "Let her. She needs it."

After a moment of silence, Ace felt the older captain's gaze upon him and cocked his head towards him. "Hmm?"

"You love her." It was a statement, not a question, so Ace just smiled and closed his eyes as his friend chuckled to himself. "Never thought I'd live to see that day. A girl in every port, and now he's in love. I'm proud of you, little one."

Ace snorted and rolled his eyes. "Little one?! You're kidding me." Then, a thought occurred to him and he cupped his chin with one hand in thought. "You're not coincidentally her brother, are you?"

The puzzled look Izou gave him said everything. "What are you talking about?"

Ace sighed, feeling no closer to the secret's answer than before. "Yeah. You see, she told me her brother's in our crew, and I just don't have a clue who it is, and she won't tell me. She thinks –"

"That you'll just see someone's little sister in her," Izou finished for him, and Ace blinked, feeling rather dumbfounded. Izou laughed. "It's clear. Nobody would want that. Is she on bad terms with him?"

Ace shrugged. "Well, kind of. She says he never cared about her. Difficult thing. Though I can't imagine one of our brothers being that much of an asshole and having his little sister waste away in some far-away prison and –" He stopped and shut his big mouth before he could reveal any more.

"Is that so," Izou mused and stared out at the glistening waves. "No, me neither. And you though it was me?"

Ace scratched his neck. "Well, the only thing I know is that he's about thirty-eight now, so I kinda thought …"

"Thirty-eight?" Izou squealed indignantly. Oh, if eyes could kill, Ace thought as a shudder ran down his spine, he'd probably be dead now. "I'm twenty-nine, you impertinent little bastard!"

"Sorry, sorry," Ace hastened to say as he sweatdropped and took his hands up in a defensive gesture. "It's just … we don't have that many young guys in the crew, and … I just thought you were among the youngest …"

Izou snorted, though the vicious sparkling in his eyes had gone back to where it had come from. Ace was glad he didn't belong to the man's enemies – he wouldn't want to have to bear up against him in a serious fight. "Thirty-eight. Really!" he muttered with one last indignant glare at Ace.

"Do you know who it could be, then? I really got no clue …" Ace sighed, in the hope that the man would just let up on him for his stupid mistake. But really, under all that make-up, who could really tell Izou's proper age? He wouldn't say that to his face, though.

"Hm." Izou's brow furrowed. "Is he one of the captains, then?"

Ace's mouth opened … and closed again. "Damn me! I just assumed … shit … that opens completely new possibilities!"

"So many people …"

"Yeah! Shit … I'll never find out!"

"You just have to ask her, then."

Ace snorted. "What do you think I've been doing for the last three months?!"

Izou shrugged with a knowing smile. "Then there's not much hope. If a woman wants to keep something secret, there's not much you can do."

"Sexist asshole," Ace muttered. "I have my ways, too. I'll get it out of her, and if I have to travel the whole damn world for it!"

"Good luck, then," Izou laughed. "I'll remember to make a list, though. Maybe some people come to my mind. I'll ask around, too."

"Thanks."

"A propos travel the whole world," Izou started again after a few moments. "What'll you do if you find Teach?"

Ace shrugged. "Don't know yet. But I'd like to … to …"

"Have her join the crew and come along with you?"

Ace narrowed his eyes at his older brother. "How do you do that, huh? Did you eat some mind-reading fruit?"

The geisha-like man almost curled up with laughter. "Seriously, Ace. Don't get the wrong impression, you're really not that hard to read, you know?"

Just when Ace was about to give him a steep reply, he startled almost to death as a cry rang out from the cabin behind their backs. "Fuck!" he cursed and was at the door in no time, slamming it open to see what was wrong.

Yami was still lying in bed, though the blanket had long since been thrown to the floor. She was writhing, her hands clawing at her face, arching away from the bed.

_Nightmare. _

"It's okay, she's just dreaming," he told Izou and almost shut the door right into his face. As much as the guy was a brother to him, he wouldn't really want him to see her like that. And naked, too.

When Yami gave another of those ear-shattering cries, he took two long strides to the bed, bent down and scooped her up into his arms. Shit, she was cold. And she was struggling against him, now clawing at _his_ face, kicking and trying to hit him.

"Shhh, shhh, it's me. Yami, it's just me. Shhh …"

"No! No, don't … don't hurt me! No! Mummy! Give me back my mummy!"

Ace squeezed his eyes shut, both from his sore feelings at her words and from fear that she'd manage to scratch them out. "Yami! Yami, dammit, wake up! It's me!"

"Mummy!" she yelled and started sobbing. Her resistance faded away.

"Shhh, shhh." He sat down on the bed and held her against him, picking up the blanket from the floor and covering her. "Nobody'll hurt you. I'm here. Shhh."

When her sobs were only mere hiccups from time to time, Ace relaxed. Scooting over on the mattress, he gently laid her down. When he sat up again to draw the blanket with them, he was surprised to feel two hands clutching at his waist. "Don't go," she whispered in her sleep. "Please."

"Nowhere," he whispered back and kissed her on the nose as he had reclined into the pillows. "I'm going nowhere." And he drew her against him, cranking up his body heat to warm her properly. _Personal heater_, he thought once again, and grinned.

* * *

"Mmmh …" Yami moaned when she slowly woke up, burying her head in her pillow. It wasn't really that soft, but at the moment it felt like a fluffy stuffed cloud.

Then the usual pain hit her, and she scrunched up her nose in annoyance. Really, nothing could ever be perfect, now could it? But when she opened her eyes and found herself blinking up at Ace, watching her with brilliantly black eyes from just inches away, smiling with amusement and his face looking so gentle it made her throat go dry instantly, it was hard to remember what she was annoyed about at all.

"Hey," she breathed as a slow smile spread over her own face.

"Hey," he replied and reached up to drive a hand through her hair.

Yami swallowed and just couldn't take her eyes off him. "Good to see you," she said for lack of ability to express all those feelings currently battling within her, but it was genuine. At the moment, she couldn't imagine a better place to be than in bed with him. Hadn't she given that answer to that bitch on Wedding-Shitcake-Island? If she had only one day left to live … She now realised with much less of a start than was normal for her that it was actually true.

"You have no idea," he answered and kissed her before she could dwell on that. His lips were so soft, and when he carefully drew her head closer to deepen the kiss, all her hunger awoke at once. She sneaked an arm around his waist, pressing up against him in a desperate attempt to make all distance between them disappear. Her thigh settled on his hips as she locked her leg around his ass and tried to get even closer, opening up for him and wishing he'd be as naked as she was.

God, she wanted him so much it physically hurt.

She moaned into his mouth, then bit his lower lip to make a point.

"Impatient, aren't we?" he smirked, but she could say the same about him. She felt his hand slide down to squeeze her butt, and his hips jerked forward. She gasped at the rough sensation of coarse jeans against her core, beneath which she felt his erection hard as a rock and straining against the cloth. She wanted to reach down but was reminded with a sharp surge of pain that she shouldn't move her arm so much. Before she could fuss about it, however, he had already taken charge and solved the problem that was his jeans for her. As he opened the zip, his cock already pushed out. Talk about impatience here.

She licked her lips unknowingly and, slower and more careful this time, reached down and palmed him. No pain in the world could have deterred her now. He let out a harsh breath as she squeezed down on him, sliding her thumb over the tip.

She looked up at him, smiling as she started moving her hand around him, and he groaned. His forehead fell forward against hers, and she nipped him in the lip. She loved hearing those sounds coming from him, and she'd waited so long for this.

When his hand on her butt moved lower and one of his fingers slipped into her, she arched her back despite the pain, and moaned low in her throat. Fuck the pain, this was heaven. _Kiss my ass, pain. _

When he claimed her lips in a fierce kiss that left her breathless, she grabbed his cock and directed it where she wanted it, right –

"Yo, Ace!"

They both froze just one second before finally, _finally_ joining. The voice was coming from in front of the door, accompanied by a sharp knock. The Mate's voice, Yami still registered through her sex-induced haze.

"I dunno what you're up to, but we just reached the next island, and we're about to go ashore, so if you want any dinner, it would be now."

Yami frowned in horror, and every last ounce of lust fell from her. "_Dinner?_ I haven't even had any breakfast!" she exclaimed.

Ace sighed and let his head slump into the pillow. "Yeah, coming. Just a minute." Seeing her hopeful expression, he snorted. "We're not doing this in a minute, am I clear?"

Yami pouted, but turned over onto her back, defeated.

"Sheesh. Is this supposed to be a new running gag? Last-minute interruption?" Ace groused.

"Huh?" she wondered. "What are you talking about?"

He raised his brows. "Yesterday night? Ring any bells?"

She thought about it, and … "Oh shit! I'm sorry, must've been really tired …" She could barely suppress a chuckle when she thought about what his face must have looked like. _Uh-oh …_

"I know," Ace sighed. "It's not your fault. Now let's get you fed, and we can resume this anytime, I guess."

Yami smirked contentedly. "Yah, anytime." She kissed him before she slowly got up, trying to stretch her body without straining her injured shoulder too much. Still, it didn't hurt as much as yesterday. That ointment really was quite helpful, she thought, looking at her right palm after she had removed the bandages covering it. The wound was closed already, looking still fiercely red but nothing like the day before.

Just when she wanted to look for her clothes, she felt her hand grabbed and Ace was brushing it with his lips ever so softly. Yami blinked in surprise.

He only looked up at her earnestly, and she didn't know why, but for some reason her heartbeats suddenly sped up.

Then he stood up and the moment was broken, leaving her quite confused and absently putting her hand over her heart. She shrugged it off, however, when her stomach let out a loud growl, and Ace laughed. He threw some clothes at her and put on his ridiculous hat that had somehow, strangely, become so much _him_ that she couldn't even laugh about it anymore.

She threw on her clothes and took the hand that was offered to her. Ace grinned. "Wow, you're actually accepting some help. Never thought I'd live to see that day."

Yami stuck out her tongue at him, but nevertheless kept his hand in a determined grip. Indicating at his crotch, she then snickered, "Well, _you_ should get some help with _that_."

Tsk-ing at her, he then pulled her close before opening the cabin door. "Oh, I will," he murmured into her ear, and a delightful shiver ran down her spine.

"Don't worry, I will."

* * *

**Author's note: **Come on. What did you expect from a chapter that's named 'Almost'? xD

_**Coming up:**_

"Girlie, you'll never ge' one sip of tha' down yer throat. I'd stick to yer lemonade, if I were you." – and … challenge accepted xD

_Finally, finally!_ she mentally cheered, giving one of his buttocks a squeeze that brought their bodies closer together at just the right place. – not giving up!

And there he stood like a fool, drinks in hand, witnessing his girl getting stolen away from him. – Tsk. Can I just eliminate everyone else? What? The story wouldn't be fun anymore? Really? Then I guess I can't, sorry!


End file.
